Geronimo Stilton: The Visitor
by 12 universe arcs
Summary: For 3 months the citizens of New Mouse City have been in a constant state of fear over the increase in crimes. Geronimo and Thea have been doing their best to help authorities solve the case, however, they have had no luck. Until one night they meet somebody who is either the answer to their problem or sign of worse things to come.
1. Chapter 1

**Concerning the powers in my hero academia, and infamous, I am not sure if the powers for those franchises are copyrighted or if powers could even be copyrighted but since I don't want to take any chances**

**Disclaimer**

**I do not own Geronimo Stilton, nor any of the other franchises I used for this story, Credit goes to their respective owners.**

** Geronimo Stilton: The visitor**

**Chapter 1**

**The Visitor**

**Mouse island**

**?: ** "Here he is I found him!"

**?: **"You did, good…why is he heading into a cave"

**?:** "I don't know, What I am wondering is why he didn't he hear me"

**?:** "What are you two doing. He goes into a cave and you're just standing here, come on let's go after him"

**?:** "Wonder what's up"

**?:** "I wonder too, but this isn't the first time he wandered off like this."

**?:** "Yeah, but when we stopped him didn't he look like he was in some kind of trance"

**?: **"True."

**?:** "Hold up you two there's something glowing in the distance be on your guard."

**?:** "Woah!, gems and...what is that?"

**New Mouse City**

**3 months later**

**Thea's P.O.V**

These past 3 months have not been easy for the citizens of New Mouse City. No one knows why or how but crime has been on the rise and police can't stop it. The criminals that have been running around aren't the kind that gets busted for their lack of forethought. Instead, these guys have the means to accomplish what they want. It began when the King and princess of Whiskiristan arrived at New Mouse City, When they arrived reporters all over mouse island wanted to get in on the story, I and my brother included. When the king and his sister arrived they were happy to see us. Well, the king was happy to see me because he had a crush on me. We later found out the purpose of the visit was so the king could see the city where I grew up. The king asked me to give him and his sister a tour of the city. As embarrassing as it was seeing everyone stare at us I agreed, though I wouldn't do it without my brother. The king wasn't about ruling the same way a king would rule. He was more into doing things his way, for example, roller skating around his castle, which made some of the interactions he had with mice weird because they were not expecting a king to act so...non traditional. But I'm going a little off-topic, the point is it was a media frenzy, reporters were eager to score an interview with the monarchs, especially reporters from the daily rat Sally Rasmausen, and Simon Squealer. They weren't happy about us getting most of the attention from the royal siblings but I didn't care how those two felt. After night fell on the city and we had seen some of the sights, the king and his sister stayed at a hotel that wasn't too far from the Rodent's Gazette. The next day the king and the princess's bodyguard was found dead and both the King and the princess were missing. There was no ransom letter, nothing. After the royals disappeared celebrities Talia Squeaks, and Diva Parmesani, who were in the city a day before the king and princess arrived were also abducted. Talia was taken while she was surrounded by paparazzi. A group of mice pushed their way through the crowd and one of them just picked her up while the others scared everyone away with gunfire. Parmesani was taken during a performance. Just like the royal sibling's, no one took responsibility. With all these abductions, authorities had to try and find them. A week went by with no luck, Hercule poirat, a friend of my brother asked us to help him out. Not too long after another one of geronimo's friends, Kornelius Von Kickpaw, who works for the mouse island government came to ask for help. He revealed that while mouse island was freaking out over what happened to the king and princess the rest of the world seem to be completely unaware of what happened, including the people of Whiskiristan. My brother suggested that all this must be part of a plan but what's the endgame is anyone's guess. After our agreement to work together I thought that this mystery was as good as solved but as time went on things got worse. Crime began to rise, the criminals being capable of doing whatever they want and getting away with it. Robberies, assaults, and abductions, the mice that were being taken were mice that worked for both the Daily Rat and Rodent's gazette, There were also mice who were being abducted at random, one of them being Ben and Pandora's teacher , even mice who Geronimo knew were also being abducted such as Creepella, along with her niece Shivereen, and Petunia, who was Geronimo's crush. Eventually, even Hercule and Kornelius were taken, and all of this took place throughout a month. By the end of the first month, my best friend Suzie Shuttermouse disappeared, who was doing this, all these abductions and other crimes are connected but what is the point to it all. It was personal to me, and my brother that we find out who's responsible and bring them to justice.

After 3 months, the citizens of new mouse city are now always looking behind their backs every few seconds, and have also begun to lose faith in the police who were nowhere near solving the case. The chief's been working his detectives to the bone and ends up more furious when they couldn't find anything. He only assumes that these criminals must be working together as a large group of organized criminals. As for me and my brother, we hope that one of these days we'll find something that will allow us to solve this case and find our friends. Pandora has taken the abduction of her aunt Petunia pretty hard, though Ben was quick to try his best comfort her and assure her that Petunia would be found and I know we'll find her...it's just taking longer than expected.

I was in my brother's office when he told me about Sally Rassmousen's latest article which was meant to undermine the authorities on mouse island.

**Geronimo:** " Sally has been claiming that the police may be the ones responsible for all this by using the fact that the police haven't been able to catch any of these criminals, she's trying to make people believe that this is something that the police are doing to make themselves look like heroes." Geronimo said annoyed.

**"**Are you honestly surprised she would do something like this,**" **I responded also annoyed.

**Geronimo:** "No I really shouldn't be but Sally is also trying to bring the mouse island government in all this." Geronimo said facepalming, "What this woman won't do for a story."

**"** Don't know, don't care, we should be worrying more about any potential leads that could take us to our friends**,"** I said urgently.

**Geronimo: "** Your right, which is why I called you into my office, but before I do that I want to ask how Pandora is doing.**"** Geronimo asks concerned

**" **She's getting by, Ben has been helping her by comforting her,**" **I respond feeling down.

**Geronimo: "** Ben is sweet for everything he is doing for her, He cares for her,**"** Geronimo said getting up from his chair and looking out the window.** "** Petunia, why her too, What did she do that lead to her getting captured. I would like to believe that maybe she found something out.**"**

**"** Maybe the same thing happened with Suzie, but we won't know until we find them. Anyway, you called me into office why again?**"** I ask, hoping that this would be what I wanted to hear.

**Geronimo:** **" **It's not much but a fellow journalist called me and told me about how she saw a group of shady looking mice heading towards an abandoned warehouse outside the city, she also said that she saw them take someone out of the trunk of a car and that the mouse looked like Susie**" **Geronimo said in a serious voice.

As soon as I heard that, I began making my way to my motorcycle. If there was a small chance that she was there I had to take it, Suzie is my best friend, and getting her back could bring us closer to finding the others.

**Meanwhile at the Daily Rat**

**Sally's P.O.V**

**"** Still nothing! More than two months have passed since I put you in charge of this since then you have always returned with nothing!**"**

**Simon: **" Sally, I am trying my best but these guys are good at hiding, plus these guys are the same mice who swiped important mice off their feet and disappeared almost as if they were never there." Simon nervously said, while trying not to flinch from my wrath.

These 3 months have been the most infuriating for me because not only have the mice who work for me have been getting abducted but I also lost my cousin the shadow who I got to go and look for the missing royals. I lost contact with her a few hours after I sent her. Since then I have not heard anything from her, either this is some joke of hers or something really did happen to her I want to know but I am not about going into a situation were I may not walk out of, I have mice who can do that for me, though each one I sent ended up like the last. How Simon managed to avoid disappearing is beyond me, however, that is still no excuse for him always coming back with nothing.

**"** I don't want any excuses just do what I ask and find something that I can write about!**"**

As I see Simon walking out of the office, I wonder what the Stiltons are up to, I imagine not any better, though I wouldn't put it past myself that maybe they may have something. I gave Simon a call.

**"** Simon, I need you to go and check on the Stiltons, maybe they have something this time...just actually come back with something.**"**

**Outside New Mouse City**

**Thea's P.O.V**

I made my way over to the warehouse that the other journalist called about, I meet her on the way their, she was heading back because she wasn't all too keen on disappearing and making her kids worry. So, I understood and went on without her. After making it to the abandoned warehouse I did see the mice there, all wearing hooded robes, they appeared to be fixing up the place. I made sure to keep my distance, it would be a big mistake to assume that these guys weren't able to watch out for snoops. If Susie was in there I needed to be sure. I was making my way to the warehouse by going from bush to bush until finally, I was close enough to hear a conversation from two mice.

**Thug#1:** " This is where they will go, we need to make sure that this goes off without a hitch."

**Thug#2:** " I know, however not sure how much longer we can keep this up,"

**Thug#1**: " We tried everything yet all our efforts were to no avail, The kid still refuses to show."

Refuses to show, don't know who they are referring t, and is this why they have been doing this. They've been trying to lure someone out if so then who. I don't know but this is something that I need to talk to Geronimo about. I then see another mouse heading towards the two mice that are talking.

**Thug#3:** " Hey you two, Courtney called and would like to offer up thanks for taking part in her game where one of the hostages is let go and a reward is given to whoever catches the hostage."

**Thug#2: **" sure, we didn't mind playing along, we did need something to ease the boredom around here."

**Thug#1:** " What did happen to the snoop anyway after we gave her gave to Courtney"

**Thug#3:** " She already placed the snoop back in the others, and moved them all to a different location."

Susie, they had already moved her. I need to find out where maybe they might mention where she is if I keep listening in but with all these mice walking around one of them might spot me. I wasn't sure how long I had but I needed to know where Susie was, I began thinking of what to do until I heard them talking again.

**Thug#1:** " Anyway did the boss say anything about what we will be doing tomorrow."

**Thug#2:** " Yeah, assault, abduction or what"

**Thug#3: **"We're going to make a move on those two mice than run those news companies since both of them are desperate to know what we're up to, so the boss figured that now is the time to show them."

They were going to take Geronimo, I have to get back to him. I quickly made my way out that area and I was able to go to the spot where I kept my motorcycle which was a distance away from the warehouse. Once on I sped away from that area, I had answers to a few questions, however now I have more questions.

**Abandoned warehouse**

**Thug#2:** " So, That scared her away. Do we give chase."

**Thug#3:** " No, not yet, Courtney's been getting bored lately and she's been wanting to screw around with the mice that have been trying to find us."

**Thug#1:** " Oh?"

**Thug#3:** " Yeah, she has already gotten started by sending some mice over to the houses of the girl that just left and her brother since those two are the most series about finding us. She also sent mice to take what little the authorities have on us, which is barely anything."

**Thug#1:** " Well, if they don't have anything on us then why is she sending mice to take what little they have."

**Thug#3:** "She knows she doesn't have to, She just wants to."

**Thug#1:** " While we are talking about women, What do we do with the snoop that saw us here earlier."

**Thug#3:** " She's already being placed with the other random victim's we took"

**Rodent's Gazette**

**Thea's P.O.V**

I arrived back at The Rodent's Gazette and rushed into my brother's office to see if he was okay.

**"**Geronimo!**"**

**Geronimo:** " Woah! Thea! What's going on what happened!" Geronimo shouted spooked.

**"** Thank goodness you're okay,**"** I said, relieved that Geronimo was still in one piece.

**Geronimo: **" Well, yeah I'm okay, why wouldn't I be." Geronimo said confused

I inform Geronimo of what I saw over at the abandoned warehouse. The look he gives is of worry.

**Geronimo: " **So, the increase in crimes in New Mouse City was all to lure someone out"

**"** Yeah, Though I didn't learn who they were trying to lure out, or why they were trying to lure him out, whoever he is, I think we need to find him first. As for Susie, I don't know where they moved her.**" **I said disappointed.

**Geronimo:** " Don't be disappointed Thea, you may not have learned where she and the others are, but you did learn that they were alive." Geronimo said trying to assure me.

**Geronimo: **" Not only that you learned who has them."

**Geronimo:** " This Courtney, she likes to hunt her hostages for sport, If it's true then I can only imagine how scared Petunia is being used like that to get rid of the boredom her captors feel. Not only that Shivereen is among the mice that were captured. I know Creepella is with her, but knowing what they did with Susie, who's to say they would have no problem with doing that to a kid."

Geronimo was getting more upset, and I completely understood because they hunted my best friend for fun. It makes wonder how many of these so-called games did they play with the mice they took. I may not have gotten much information in regards to our friends, but the little information I did get was a start.

**Streets of New Mouse City**

**Thea's P.O.V**

**Later**

I asked Geronimo if he was going to be okay on his way home, He told me that he would be fine and instead asked me if I would be okay on my way back home given how I saw something that I wasn't supposed to see. I assured him that I would be okay and so we went our separate ways. On the way back home, I wondered what our next was going to be, I planned on going back to that warehouse and see what more I can hear from the mice there. Though if I returned them. the mice might see me and catch me, However, it meant that I could learn more of their victim's whereabouts then I have to take it.

After making it back home I was looking forward to adding what I learned to the lead board that I had in my room. With what I learned then maybe if I were to use it and compare it with what I had on board already then maybe it can help out, or maybe not but it wouldn't hurt to try at least.

As soon as I enter my room I find that my lead board is gone along with everything else I had on there. I looked around my house to see if I can find how the thieves got into my house, I could not find anything. The mice that came into my house knew how to cover up their tracks. I immediately suspected that the mice over by the warehouse had something to do with it, I called Geronimo to tell him of what happened, He tells me that the same happened to him. we both agree to speak more about it tomorrow after we hung up I sat on my bed to think.

After a few minutes, I hear a loud noise coming from outside, it was like an explosion so I rushed out to see what was going on. I was surprised to see nothing outside, I then hear another loud noise, the noise was coming from the sky so I looked up and still saw nothing. It was rather cloudy so that didn't make things any better, Then there was another loud noise but this time there was a flash within the clouds which revealed the silhouettes of two mice. I rubbed my eyes real quick as I wasn't sure about what I had just seen, Then another loud noise, accompanied by another flash which showed the silhouettes of two again, this time the two mice looked different. This happened a few more times, and each time the silhouettes would be in a different spot in the sky. Soon after two bright lights emerge from the clouds and head in the direction where the ocean is.

I jumped on my motorcycle and headed in the same direction. I called Geronimo to tell him that I was heading towards the beams of light.

**Geronimo: **" Thea, did you see those balls of light! Their heading to the ocean." My brother was excited but a little scared from what he saw. Although he definitely will not ignore a good story, plus he also doesn't want to be out scooped by the daily.

**"** Yeah I saw it I am pretty sure that lots of other mice saw it as well. Anyway, I wanted called to tell you that I am heading over to the harbor,**"**

**Geronimo: "** Alright then, I'll meet you there."

**New mouse harbor**

**Thea's P.O.V**

I passed by Geronimo's house and saw him about to enter his car, I offered him a ride and he accepted. Once on we went on our way to the harbor. Once making it to the harbor we looked around and it was surprisingly empty. I assumed more mice would be hereafter what happened in the sky, but I was wrong. Maybe they might turn up later, although I was sure that Sally wouldn't be too far behind. So I am hoping that both me and Geronimo would find whatever crashed in the ocean.

**Geronimo:** " I am not sure what exactly we are supposed to be looking at. Whatever crashed is most likely now at the bottom of the ocean or just very deep."

He was right, we needed to go to the meta mouse so we can try to find whatever crashed in the ocean. We began to make our way out of the harbor until the floor began to shake before suddenly stopping.

**Geronimo:** " Thea, you felt that right?"

**"** I'm standing right next to you, how could I not feel it.**"**

The ground begins to shake again, this time it's a bit more intense. It only lasted for a few seconds before immediately stopping. After it stopped we heard an explosion behind us. We quickly turned around and saw the explosion, the explosion came from the water, it was quite a distance away but still loud.

**Geronimo:** " Thea?"

**" ** Yes, Geronimo**"**

**Geronimo: **" I don't think that it would be wise to go and check that out because I am terrified that another explosion would happen, and I am at the dead center of it when it happens."

As if on cue, there was another explosion, though it was far away from us. the thing about this explosion was where it happened, it happened in an entirely different spot. Then a series of explosions were happening in different spots of the sea at a rapid pace. While these explosions were a distance away, they were close to the island where mouse islands statue of liberty was at. I turned to look at Geronimo when I saw that he was on the floor unconscious, he had passed out, very likely due to fright. I was about to carry him out of the harbor when I looked out onto the sea, looking at the explosions coming from the water. I wondered what was going on when another explosion, this time it was where the beach was. when that explosion happened I saw two figures shoot up into the air and from what I was seeing they were fighting.

**"** What are those things?**"** I said in confusion, and a little afraid.

I saw the two figures fly around and whenever they got to close there was always a loud bang. The two beings were hitting each other with such force that sounds from it can be heard from where I was standing. The two beings flew a little close to where I was before shooting up higher into the sky. Before they did I was able to see that the beings fighting were mice. I was beginning to wonder if this was all a dream so I bit my paw, which didn't do anything other than make me bleed.

**"** OUCH! Curse our sharp teeth that hurt. Okay so this isn't a dream, and those mice are flying and having what I am pretty sure is a deathmatch. Geronimo, what do you… oh, forgot you passed out**."**

What I needed to do was get me and Geronimo as far away as I could. As I carried him, I looked up and saw the mice flying to the harbor office before stopping above it. I couldn't see what exactly they were doing but I think they were arguing for some sort. I was more concerned about getting me and my brother out of the area. My motorcycle was parked near the harbor office so I ran the risk of being spotted by the two mice, but I had to get us out of here. As I was getting near my bike I was able to get a better look at the mice fighting. One of them looked like he was wearing what I think was Spartan armor, while the other mice had a more business attire with his trench coat suit, and tie. I was able to hear them speak.

**Spartan mouse:** " How do you plan on getting us back?"

His voice was kinda rough, and comparing the way he is dressed with his opponent made me wonder why they were dressed the way they did at all. If they were regular mice I would have assumed that maybe they just got out of a costume party, however, these aren't normal mice, so I could only guess why they were dressed like that.

**Business mouse: **" You don't have to worry about that, I know of another way to get us back."

**Spartan mouse:** " If it's what I'm thinking about then I highly doubt it, you won't be able to make half the journey in the state I'm gonna leave you in.

**Business mouse:** " That doesn't matter, And seeing as how you lost your only means of escape then I have all the more reason to use this way to get us back home.

I'd be lying if I said if I had any clue as to what they were talking about, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what is happening. I see the Spartan looking mouse turning his head to look at me. He raised his paw into the air and a dark cloud began to form around it. Slowly from the cloud emerges a sword, The Spartan mouse throws the sword at me and it was coming fast, I thought that was it for me until the business mouse suddenly appears right in front of me and took the hit. The sword pierced his body and came out of his back but only the tip of the sword was the part that made it through. Blood was dripping from the tip of the sword. The Business mouse then turns his head to look at me.

**Business mouse:** " Are you okay?."

**"**Yes**"**

This mouse saved me but now he was hurt, Yet he was more concerned about me than himself. I tried to say something but the only thing out of my mouth was a yes.

**Business mouse: **" It's good that you're okay, look you need to get out of here. I'll take this guy down.

As he flies up to confront the spartan mouse he pulls the sword out of his chest and throws it. He then charges at the mouse fast and is taking him to the ocean. It's not very far just a small distance from the harbor. The two mice then fight with the business mouse using other abilities while the Spartan mouse creates swords to fight his opponent. The abilities that the business mouse used varied from lighting, fire, ice, and some pretty strong abilities, the power that he used that was strong was when he created a ball of light that had a bluish aura coming from it and shooting it. The beam was bright but not too bright and when it hit his opponent it sent him far into the air before exploding. Since it was cloudy the bright flash was dimmed. Some of the other abilities he used were very bizarre, such as the ability he used when he got sent flying and crashed into the ground near me as I was leaving the area with my brother. He got up and looked at me, apologized for scaring me don't know why he did that and made golden blades with a black stripe at the center appear from his back, shoulders, arms, knees, and with claws with the same color and stripe coming from his knuckles. He then flew back to fight the Spartan mouse.

As I was driving away with my brother riding behind me, I had to make sure he wouldn't fall off the bike while I was driving. I was looking back and wondered if that mouse was going to be alright. I was hoping that it was going to be okay until There was a big lightning strike, I saw the lighting raining down, it was going on for ten seconds before finally ending in a very big explosion.

After the explosion, I drove back to the harbor and saw both mice come out of the cloud of smoke and fall into the ocean. I got off my bike and set Geronimo carefully next to the bike. I then rushed over to the ocean and jumped in, I swam to find the mouse who saved me and fortunately for me he landed pretty close to the harbor while the other mouse landed a far distance from where the beach was. I wouldn't be able to get to the Spartan mouse since he was farther away, so I could only try and get the business mouse. I found him sinking to the bottom and got him before he sank further down. The state he was in was very bad. He had burns all over his body and his left arm was almost gone. I carried him up to the surface and back to land, it was a bit of a swim to land as the harbor was on top of a rocky surface so I had to take him to the beach since it was near the harbor. Once on the beach, I placed him gently on the sand and I just looked at him. In his state, I believed that he was dead. There was no movement, no nothing. Until I saw him cough.

**Elsewhere**

**Thug#1: "** So what do you think should we move in and grab them?**"**

**?:** **"**No."

**Thug#1: " **No?**"**

**?: " **It would be a poor choice to miss out on an opportunity like this. If there is one thing I get from this is that this changes things.**"**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer from the previous chapter still applies  
**

**Before the next chapter starts I would just like to say something that slipped my mind when I wrote in the previous chapter. that is, I am using the Tv versions of Geronimo and the other characters since the Tv show was what introduced me to the series, however I will also be using characters from the book series since I noticed characters from the book series did not appear in the Tv version and that some of the characters in the Tv version are different than their book counterparts at least character-wise, So I will try to include traits that the characters in the book had with their Tv Counterparts. I may also include events that happened from both versions of the series. Sorry for how long that was I still about writing these, but anyway with that out of the way please enjoy.  
**

**Chapter 2: Trial?  
**

**Mouse General Hospital**

**4 days later.**

**Thea's P.O.V**

I have been visiting that mysterious mouse for the past few days in the hopes he had woken up. With the injuries he had, it was a miracle that he was even still alive. Even the doctors were shocked, one of them asked me where I found him and if I could give them anything about him. I couldn't because the doctors might think that I was crazy. The hospital was on the other side of town so the mice in this area might not have caught the explosions that occurred a few days ago. News about what happened was reported on by the Daily Rat the next morning, much to my brother's annoyance. Simon was at the beach after following the beams of light, He arrived at the beach before me and my brother and saw the same thing we saw when we arrived. He wasn't alone though as there were was a crowd who were curious about what was happening. He had his camera with him and was recording but he wasn't able to record everything because the explosion that was a bit close to the beach made one of the mice close to Simon panic and bump into him making Simon drop the camera damaging it. Mice then started running as the sound of loud bangs were being heard in the sky. When Simon got the camera rolling he was able to record the lighting strike followed by the explosion. After the incident mice released videos showing their perspectives, though in each one you weren't able to see the mice that were causing the loud bangs. Which was a bit of a relief because it meant that mice would have their explanations as to what was causing it.

As for me,

I made up a story that I was sure wasn't that convincing, I didn't think the doctors believed it but it was the best I could do after everything that happened. Geronimo had asked me about what he missed and I told him, he didn't believe me because it sounded like something straight out of a comic book, but he knows that I wouldn't lie to him so he was more inclined to believe but still not sure how he was supposed to take what he was hearing. After I had told him that the mouse I pulled from the water saved my life and that he was in the hospital Geronimo decided to follow me on my visits to the hospital so he can see the mouse who saved me and thank him but he also wanted to ask him some questions.

After 4 days theories ranged from the government testing out something, a failed terrorist attack, or whatever they could think about. I knew what caused it but I didn't know what to do about it. I have so many questions but I wasn't sure if I will get the answers to them even if that mouse who is making me question my reality were to wake up and be able to speak in his state.

Geronimo and I had gone to the hospital again to visit the mouse, I had purchased some flowers to give to the mouse which was something I had been doing every time I went to the hospital. Once there I saw the doctors leaving the room were that mouse was in. I asked if he had woken up yet. they said he hadn't yet, but that it was fine if I see him. I entered his room and there he was on the bed. Wrapped in bandages with a breathing tube in his mouth. I sat right next to him and placed the flowers on the table close to him. Geronimo, who sat right next to me and looked at the mouse before placing a paw on my shoulder.

**Geronimo: "** It's been four days, I don't think he is going to wake up. He may be alive now but how long can he last? He may either succumbs to his injuries or doctors might have to...you know.**" **Geronimo's said sounding discouraged.

It wasn't like I could disagree with him so I just stared at the mouse who saved me and I wondered about where he was from. I wondered about how his friends or family might be worried about him, unaware that he might not ever return to them. I just stared until I heard what I believed was a whimper coming from him.

" Geronimo, I think I just heard him whimper**," **I said while leaning closer at the mouse, waiting for him to make another noise so I wouldn't feel like I was hearing things.

**Geronimo: "**Yeah, I heard it too**"**

The mouse made another muffled noise, which made us look at each other and back to him. Was he waking up? We were about to get the doctors when the mouse slowly layed up on his bed and looked around even though he couldn't see anything with the bandages wrapped around him.

**Geronimo: "** How is he able to move?.**" **

I couldn't respond, I just watched as the mouse looked around. Then I saw him remove the breathing tube from his mouth.

**?: "** believe me it still hurts when I move but not as much as it used to.**"**

We were dumbfounded, we just sat there as he removed the bandages from his eyes. After that, he looked around trying to figure out where he was but stopped to touch his nose. He seemed very confused and then he looked at his left arm, he saw that most of it was gone. He then turned to look at me and my brother before touching his nose again, he then started touching the rest of his face, then his ears, he followed his ears to their tips looking more confused as he did.

**?: "** do you have a mirror on you by any chance?"

He looked very confused so I pulled out my makeup kit from my purse and let him look at himself in the mirror.

**?: " **I am… a mouse?**"**

I didn't know how to respond to how he was acting because I didn't know what I was dealing with. After what I saw how could I, there was not much I could do to help but I thought to myself that maybe it would make him feel better if I at least tried to give him answers, which could also answer some of the questions I have for him. So I Prepared myself for what I was going to hear from him as best as I could. I put away my makeup kit and answered the question he had asked.

"Yes, you are a mouse.**"**

**?: "**Odd, how can that be?**"**

" I don't know if I can help you there, is this not how you usually look?**"**

**?: "**Not really, unless I go-**" **He paused and looked at me. The look in his eyes made me think that he was putting things together in his head.

**?: "** If it is alright, may I ask you a couple of questions?**"**

"Again, I don't know if I can answer but I will try.**"**

**?: "**Okay, well my first question is how long was I out for?"

" About four days"

?: " Okay, next question, Are their any super-powered individuals here?**"**

"No**."  
**

**?: "**Guess that would explain why I am still wrapped in bandages. There aren't any healers here."

I wasn't sure how to process what he just said, I just stared at him like a deer in the headlights. If I was having trouble taking in what I was hearing then what about my brother, I haven't heard him talk yet and didn't he want to ask questions. I turned to look at him and saw him with a blank expression. I noticed a tear slowly streaming down his face which worried me.

**"**Geronimo, are you okay?**"**

**Geronimo: "**Yeah, I am fine. I'm just wondering why I am not waking up despite how hard I am pinching myself in the leg. I've been listening to everything but yet as crazy as it is I can't wake up from it.**"**

I looked at his leg and saw that he was pinching himself. I grabbed his paw to stop him from continuing. I told him to not do that anymore and I let go of his paw to look back at the mouse who was asking me questions. He didn't look that surprised when he saw how my brother was acting and seemed to be waiting for us before he continued. I apologized for what he saw and asked that he continue.

**?: "**Are there any other anthropomorphic animals walking around or is it just anthropomorphic mice here?**"**

"There aren't any anthro animals here beside us mice.**"**

**?: "**And now for the next question. Are there any humans here?**"**

"What are humans?**"**

**?: "**knew it, guess I forgot a bit of what happened when I first got here but now it's coming back to me. Anyway, how did I get here?**"**

"Well I saw you fight that other mouse and after that big explosion, I saw you crash into the ocean. So I went in and got you out but I don't know what happened to the mouse you fought.**" **

**?: "**Oh, well, in that case, thank you for your help.**"**

"No problem**"**

I learned quite a bit about the kind of world he lives in and I couldn't help but be amazed. A world where superpowers exist, a world where there are other anthropomorphic animals, and I don't know what humans are but I am very curious. Though I wanted to ask more about the powers he had because if he is still alive then I would like to know what ability is letting him do that. Another thing that came to mind was if that other mouse is still alive?

**Geronimo: " **I'm sorry but before we go into that I would like to point out that I noticed we never introduced ourselves.**"**

He was right, I haven't even noticed. I've been so distracted with everything I was hearing I forgot that we didn't introduce ourselves. So it would be best if we get that out of the way.

**"**He's right, we didn't do that, so let's introduce ourselves. Hi, my name is Thea Stilton, I am a special correspondent for the Rodent's Gazette, New Mouse Cities best newspaper. and this is my brother Geronimo Stilton, he is the chief editor for the Rodent's Gazette. And who might you be?**"**

**?: "** My name is Arthur. It's a pleasure to meet you both.**"**

"Likewise.**"**

**Geronimo: "**Arthur?**"**

**Arthur: "**Yeah, why what's the matter?**"**

**Geronimo: "**Oh, its nothing it's just that I wasn't expecting you to have an Earth name.**"**

**Arthur: "**That's because I am from Earth**."**

"What do you mean you're from Earth?**" **I wasn't sure how to take that. There was more than one Earth in this universe. I have heard of similar Earth-like planets discovered by NASA but those didn't seem to possess much in the way of intelligent life. It looks like there are indeed planets out there that have life on them and that one of them goes by the same name ours does, however, I couldn't be sure of that, there was more to the story, and I needed to ask more questions but I noticed he was looking around the room for something.

"What are you looking for?**"**

**Arthur: "** I noticed my suit wasn't here.**"**

"Your suit? That suit was beyond repair I don't see how you thought it would still be here.**"**

**Geronimo: "**Why would they keep your suit? Do they normally do that back where you're from?**"**

**Arthur: "**Yeah sorry, guess I'm still trying to take in the fact this Earth isn't like all the other Earths I've been to.**"**

"THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO EARTHS?!**" **I quickly place my paws over my mouth to prevent myself from yelling. My scream spooked everyone in the room.

**Arthur: "**Oops, sorry didn't mean to let that slip. Geez still trying to get a grip on the situation.**" **Arthur chuckles a bit which leaves me wondering why he's so calm about this whole thing?

**Arthur: "**Look, as much as I would like to continue this conversation I would very much like to get my suit back. It doesn't matter what state it's in.**"**

**Geronimo: "**Why do you want it? Your suit like any other suit can be bought at the store so why do you still need it?**"**

**Arthur: "**That suit is very different from those regular suits. It's my hero outfit.**"**

"Your hero outfit?**"**

**Arthur: "**Yeah, back where I come from the world is inhabited by super-powered individuals. More than eighty percent of the planet's population have powers, so things went in the direction of a more comic book style world. Those who use their powers for justice are known as heroes and all of them have their hero outfits. Even the villains have their outfits.**"**

I couldn't help but giggle from he just said because I am pretty sure that after enough time that is exactly how things would be if their were mice born with powers in this world. No doubt Trap would love a world like that, I could also see Benjamin and Pandora enjoying a world like that. As soon as I thought of Pandora it immediately hit me. This mouse could help us find all our friends and bring them back, as well as bring the ones responsible for their disappearances to justice. I wanted to ask him for his help but then I thought that in his current state he might not be able to do much. Although it wouldn't hurt to ask what he can do. Starting with the more obvious question is how is he still alive?

"Excuse me but I would like to ask what power is keeping you alive?**"**

**Arthur: "**I would like to answer but not right now, we could continue somewhere else. But first I want to find to get my suit back.**"**

" The doctors threw it away so Its most likely gone for good. Unless you have some way of finding it?**"**

**Arthur: "**I do, I have a power that can let me track things but in my current state I don't think I would be able to search for it long enough for me to find it.**"**

He has a way to track things? this could be what we need to find our friends. he mentions that in his current state he can't track for long so he needs time to recover, which is disappointing because I need to wait before I can ask him for help.

**Arthur: "** Wonder how my body looks after all this time wrapped in bandages? My left arm is still gone but most of it would have likely regenerated by this point while the rest of my body was healing.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Regenerating limbs? Just what power are you talking about?**" **Geronimo wanted to know what power was keeping Arthur alive. I wanted to know to so I asked him.

**Arthur: "**Okay, I'll tell you, the power is called Rapid Cell Regeneration. This power lets me recover from injuries no matter how intense they may be.**"**

"Amazing, but if that's the case then why haven't you recovered after all this time?**"**

**Arthur: "**I'm different from other people who have this ability, and that's due to the nature of my power.**"**

I saw that he was getting rather nervous so I asked him why, to which he says that after remembering what happened he needed to leave and find the mouse he was fighting as soon as possible, He sounded very urgent about it. We asked about that mouse but he told us that he didn't feel like answering any more questions until later. He slowly got off his bed, The bandages did cover him up completely even his tail was covered up. He had asked us for help because he didn't know a thing about this world and in his current state, he wouldn't be doing much exploring or anything for that matter. So both me and my brother agreed to help him. Before he can go look for his uniform he needs some clothes. Geronimo said he can help him with that, he knew a clothes store downtown that he can take us to. He then mentions that Trap would be coming by his house with Ben and Pandora later. Trap wanted to take the young mice to place where they can have fun and not worry about anything. He took both Pandora and ben, to the Amusement Park. Pandora had been getting by thanks to Benjamin, both she and him have gotten closer as a result of all this. I intend to keep my promise to Pandora to help her, but I am not about to make Arthur do things he may not be capable of doing in his condition. Arthur then removed the bandages on where his left arm was supposed to be, saying that the bandages blocked his arm from healing. I wanted to know more about his powers but for now, I had to wait. He told us that he would follow us to our car but I questioned how the doctors wouldn't let him just walk away.

Arthur then grinned and told us that he had the could turn invisible. He demonstrated by disappearing and reappearing next to Geronimo, almost giving him a heart attack. Geronimo pleaded with Arthur not to do that again. I was also spooked but I was more amazed than frightened and seeing Geronimo shaking was a little funny to look at I couldn't help but laugh as well which angered him.

Geronimo and I began making our way out of the hospital, as we were walking Geronimo was nervous because he knew Arthur would be behind us but he couldn't see him, plus he was afraid Arthur would try to prank him. After a bit we had made it back to Geronmio's car, Geronimo unlocked to the door and we got in. Once inside the car Arthur made himself visible. It spooked Geronimo but he let it slide, after turning on the car we made our to the clothes store downtown. While on our way I began telling Arthur about New Mouse city. I told him about the history of New Mouse City to some of the sights, to its inhabitants, and anything else I could think of. I even told him about the Daily Rat and Arthur noticed my distaste for it and asked me why. I told him why I don't like the Daily Rat and Arthur laughed a bit and told me that he could relate because back, where he was from there were news companies that were just like the Daily Rat but as annoying as some of them were he didn't mind them. Though he questioned the actions of Sally Rasmoussen and the extent she went just to stop Geronimo and me from getting a story. While some of the newspapers where he comes from can be annoying, not many do the things that Sally has done just for a story. He was even more surprised how Sally was able to avoid getting in trouble.

When we finally arrived at the clothes store Geronimo asked Arthur for what size clothing he wore. Arthur gave Geronimo the size that fits someone of his height. After getting the size Geronimo went to get the clothes but before he could go and get them Arthur told him to stop. Geronimo asked what was wrong to which Arthur tells him that nothing is wrong, it's just that the clothes Geronimo is going to buy shouldn't be anything fancy, just some regular clothes would do. With that he left as we waited for him to get back, I looked at the car mirror to look at Arthur. Half of his left arm was restored and when Arthur saw me staring at his arm he quickly placed it behind his back, He also was looking tired. he looked at the mice walking by and was fascinated. I was being very curious so I asked him about his powers and how they worked. His eyes quickly looked at me staring at him from the mirror, he looked at me for a few seconds before yawning.

**Arthur: "** I would like to but I don't think that now is the best time.**" **he said tiringly.

I nodded and after a few minutes, Geronimo came out with a bag and quickly entered the car. He gave Arthur the bag before starting up the car.

**Geronimo: "** Alright, you have your clothes. These clothes were the best I could get for you hope you like em.**" **Geronimo said nervously.

**Arthur: " **I am sure they'll be fine.**" **Arthur responded kindly

Once the car was on we went on our way. As soon as we took off I saw Arthur looking through the bag to see what Geronimo had got him. I wondered what geronimo had got him but I didn't ask. Many thoughts were rushing through my head and thoughts were also rushing through Geronimo's. There was still so much we wanted to ask but we didn't want to get on Arthur's nerves. We still hardly knew a thing about him so we had to give him time before he was ready to talk with us. Oh, what a story this would be if it wasn't for the fact that if we put this on paper I am pretty sure that everyone would see us as crazy. The scoop that could change everything was sitting right behind us and I wasn't sure if we could even go public with it. It was very frustrating but at least Sally wasn't the one that found him.

**Geronimo's house**

**Thea's P.O.V**

After making it to Geronimo's house we all got out of the car and headed for the door. As we did so I noticed Arthur was looking around quickly, nervously. He didn't want to be spotted by anybody so he quickly turned invisible. Once Geronimo opened the door I heard Arthur asked where the bathroom was. After Geronimo told him Arthur quickly rushed to the bathroom. Geronimo headed for his couch and sat on it. He was stomping his foot on the ground quickly and was trying to figure out what to make of this whole thing.

**Geronimo: " **Thea, I'm worried.**" **Geronimo said nervously.

" What's on your mind?**" **I responded.

**Geronimo: " **Well, everything that happened after he woke up for starters. Other Earths, super-powered individuals, Other anthro animals, he didn't go into much detail about each one of those topics but it's still just so much to take in.**" **

" Well, your not the only one who feels that way. It's all overwhelming but it's also fascinating. Just think of the adventures he and others like him go on, now those would be stories that I would love to report on.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Thea, I get that it sounds interesting and believe me I would like to write stories on what goes over in those other worlds as well if it wasn't for the fact that this world isn't like the other ones. Sure we had some bizarre phenomenon in recent years but if things began to happen here that causes a change which results in our world being just like his then I doubt that things will go smoothly.**"**

My brother wasn't wrong, Thinking about it, I was sure that when things changed in Arthur's world it probably wasn't such an easy change. This does make me want to ask Arthur about his world's history but that may be for another time.

**Geronimo: "** We were lucky that the explosion happened high up in the air and was also a distance away from the city but that also makes me think about how powerful that explosion would have been if the two that caused it were at their full power.

" What do mean Geronimo?**" **I said confused.

**Geronimo: "** Well, it's like you told me, Thea, those two have been fighting when they got here. So, it makes me question how long those two have been fighting, and whether or not those two may have been exhausted.**"**

"Geronimo**?"  
**

**Geronimo: "** Of course I can't be sure of that, however, the fact remains that on that night those two fought near our city. And that mouse that Arthur fought is still out there so if he tries to cause some trouble and Arthur has to fight him again, but what if this time their fight is in the city, and the two of them are at full power?**"**

I looked at my brother as he said all that. Our world is different from his so how we would deal with a situation like what Geronimo described. There have been times where bizarre phenomenon have occurred that left many around the world scratching their heads in both confusion and fear, so if a situation like what my brother described does happen then the outcome could be anything but good. I wasn't sure how it would go but it's what worries me the most. My brother looks like he wants the answers to all these concerns at this exact moment but without much to go on how can we even begin to try and deal with it. It was then where we heard a knock at the door. I went to check and I saw Trap with Ben and Pandora on the other side of the window. I opened the door to let them in.

**Trap: "** Hey Thea, how's it going?**" **Trap said to me gleefully. He looked like he had a blast at the amusement park.

**Benjamin: "** Hi Thea.**" **Ben said to me casually, he looked like he had fun as well, As they walked in Ben told me about all the rides they went on and all the prizes he won which he gave to Pandora. I smiled at how happy all three were especially Pandora. Thanks to Ben, Pandora has been able to act like her old self, She holds every bit of hope that Petunia will be found, and with Arthur with us Petunia and all the other mice that have been abducted are within reach, they can be rescued, which is why I want to know more about how Arthur's regeneration ability worked because I want to know how long it will be before he's back to full strength. I looked at Pandora and wanted to tell her the news but I still needed to be sure of somethings. Which brought me back to Arthur, He had been in the bathroom for a bit which made me think that he wasn't changing so I waited for a bit. I used the time to talk with Ben and Pandora, Even though Geronimo was concerned about Arthur and that other mouse he was fighting, he wasn't going to let his worries get in the way from spending time with his nephew.

After thirty minutes I went to go check on Arthur, I knocked on the bathroom door to ask if he was alright**. **He didn't respond for at least thirty seconds so I knocked again, still no response. I began to think that he was asleep so I knocked one more time, this time a bit louder. The door was suddenly unlocked and slowly began to open. I saw Arthur's eye looking through the small opening and noticed burn scars around his eye, it didn't look that bad but I asked him if was going to be okay.

**Arthur: "** Yeah, I am doing fine, it's just taking a little longer than expected.**" **

"Are you sure you're doing all right? you sound a little down?**"**

**Arthur: "**Oh no, I'm not feeling down it's just that I've been thinking a lot about what happened and about other things. Not only that, I heard you and Geronimo talking to other mice and from what I hear there were three of them and two of the mice are kids.**"**

"Yeah, The two boy's are my cousin Trap, my nephew Benjamin, and third voice is Ben's friend Pandora.**"**

**Arthur: "** I see, well then I guess I better go out the window because a stranger with burn scars appearing from upstairs might spook them a bit.**"** The young mice might be a bit put off by Arthur's appearance since he hasn't fully recovered yet. I then heard Pandora's voice from down the hallway.

**Pandora: "**Thea, who are you talking to?**"**

"Oh Pandora, um... well I am speaking to...a friend who I meet a while back and who is just visiting**," **I told Pandora trying not to sound weird.

**Pandora: "** If he's a friend that why are you acting like if you don't want to be seen together?**"** Pandora's eyes widened as she stopped to look at me. She then gave a menacing smile before quickly giggling. I had an idea as to what she could be thinking about, I quickly looked at the door to see it closed before Pandora spoke again.

**Pandora: "** Thea, am I to believe that the mouse behind that door is your new boyfriend?**" **blushing from what I just heard I started to panic. It's not like I could just tell her and expect her to believe me, but at the same time I couldn't brush her off it would just make her more curious. I didn't know how much of Arthur's body has healed and after what Pandora told me it isn't like I can convince her to walk away, she was curious so I had to think of something.

" Um, yes that's right he is my new boyfriend**," **I tell her trying to sound as convincing as possible. Pandora jumps up and down giggling and runs up to me.

**Pandora: "** Well don't just stand there I need details women!**"** Pandora said to me after she jumped and held onto my shirt. I heard Arthur laughing in the bathroom which made pandora jump onto the floor and start knocking on the door trying to talk to Arthur.

**Pandora: "** Hey come on, you don't have to be embarrassed, any friend of Thea is a friend of mine so come on I want to know the mouse who was able to sweep Thea off her feet.**"**

Suddenly Arthur's idea of sneaking out through the window was sounding like a great idea, Though any attempt to try and hide Arthur would only make things worse with Pandora so I told Pandora to move so I could convince Arthur to let me in. He opened the door just enough so I could squeeze through, he was making sure to stand behind the door as he opened it, he didn't want Pandora to see his face. After getting in I closed the door and told Pandora to wait a bit. She was fine with it but told me that it wasn't going to stop her from listening in. I turned to look at Arthur and saw the clothes he was wearing. He was wearing a red shirt with long sleeves and brown jeans. As for his face, there were some burn scars but they weren't that bad. The burns were on some parts of his face but while the rest of his face was fine. His fur was grey and white and I noticed his brown eyes, I whispered to him asking how his left arm was doing, he told that it's only the paw that needs to grow back now and that it may take a bit. I signaled for him to walk away from the door and after moving away I whispered to Arthur asking how we were going to talk without Pandora hearing us. Arthur brings up his ability of Telepathy which can help us be more discreet. I stared at him wondering what other powers he had and because we stuck here until Arthur heals so I decided to pass the time with some questions.

He was using his mind to speak to me. It felt creepy but cool at the same time, but because he was in my head I told him he better not be snooping through anything in my head, he laughed and said that he's not going to do that, which is why he stopped using his telepathy so that he can speak to me normally. I would like to speak with him using our minds but I want to get to know Arthur first before then. I started by asking him about his powers and he explained that while he may have multiple powers it all comes from a single power, it's just that his power allows him to copy the power of others, letting him have an arsenal of abilities. He was a power sponge as that is what the power is called. Which led me to my next question which was his powers work. He explained that when people are born with powers and after they unleash said powers they can't just use it to any extent they want because they would end up hurting or killing themselves. They would have to train to improve their powers which in turn improves the extent they can use their powers. It's the same as going to the gym. Although you're improving your powers, Arthur did mention that heroes also have to do a lot of working out so they can be ready for anything.

I asked him about where do powers come from, to which he says comes from a gene within the DNA of him and others like him. The gene was responsible for the next stage in evolution and that it took a while for society to finally get adjusted.

"Everything I am hearing sounds so unreal but here we are. You are living proof of it all, it's just so crazy to wrap my head around.**"**

**Arthur: "**yeah this may be a bit too much for you to take in so if it's alright then maybe we can put it off until later until you've processed this?**"**

"Oh no, I'm good, well maybe. It's just well... there are so many things I want to ask and I'm not sure if I'll have time to ask you.**"**

**Arthur: "**It's alright, I wish I could answer all your questions, however under different circumstances.**"**

I had a feeling of what he was talking about. It must be that mouse that he fought on that night. I remember that he tried to kill me but Arthur came in and saved me. I also remember both him and Arthur falling into the sea after the explosion. I went in and got Arthur out but I couldn't do the same for the other mouse. If that mouse is capable of healing like Arthur can, then we need to find him before he does anything. This made me question what I could do to help because these are super-powered mice, nothing I have is gonna do anything against someone who can create weapons out of nothing and who can be capable of surviving explosions like the one on that night.

"Who is that mouse?**"**

Before he could answer we heard Trap yelling from outside the bathroom.

**Trap: "**NEW BOYFRIEND! Wow, it has been 3 months since Thea's last relationship! Glad to see that she's got herself another nibble!**"**

**Geronimo: "**Trap, what are you doing**!" **Geronimo shouted.

**Trap: "** I want to meet Thea's new boyfriend.**"**

**Benjamin: "**Thea has a new boyfriend?**"**

**Trap: "** you bet she does, Pandora said she saw the both of them alone here and how they grew embarrassed when she asked Thea about who that guy was.**"**

Why is he doing this to me? I am the middle of something really important and here he is embarrassing me. Though to be fair he and the others don't know what is going on except for Geronimo and I. I ask Arthur how his arm is doing, the burns seemed to have completely healed but there was still his paw that needed to regenerate so I wanted to know how it looked. Arthur wouldn't show it but he checked and told me that it shouldn't take too long. I figured I could keep both Trap and Pandora busy until then by making whatever story as to how both Arthur and I meet. I told Arthur to wait until his paw had fully healed. I made my way to the bathroom door and thought of how to answer the questions Trap and Pandora were going to ask me.

I opened the door and immediately Trap and Pandora tried to see Arthur but Geronimo tried to keep Trap back while I quickly moved through the door and closed it before pandora could see Arthur. which made things more suspicious.

**Benjamin: "** Why are you two acting so weird, if Thea has a new boyfriend then you shouldn't have to act so weird about it. Thea's had other boyfriends before, so what is it about this guy that is making you guys act like this?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Oh, well Benjamin you see...uh...Thea's new boyfriend is just shy around other mice yeah that's it. He's never been good around mice, plus he's feeling rather ill so Thea only wanted to make sure he was okay.**" **Geronimo tried to explain hoping the others would buy it.

**Trap: "** Well if that's the case then we wouldn't want whatever illness he has to spread to the young ones now do we.**" **

" Yes, that is exactly it Trap. now if don't mind I need to take my boyfriend to the guest bedroom.**"**

**Pandora: " **Hold on, if he was sick then why did he come all the way here. Wouldn't it have been better to stay back at his house?.**" **

**Geronimo: "** Uh Thea, can we talk for a second.**" **Geronimo pointed to the stairs but I didn't want to leave Arthur alone and this whole thing is getting a bit out of hand. The more we tried to hide Arthur the weirder things were getting so I felt it would be best if we just got him out, however, Arthur's paw is what worries me. He said that it shouldn't take long but how long is that exactly. I was weighing my options when we heard the bathroom door opening. The door opens and out steps Arthur looking fine but what about his paw. I looked and it was fully healed.

**Arthur: "** So I am just going to assume that the only way this can cease from being any weirder is me stepping out.**"** Arthur felt weird about what he was hearing. I look at him and remembered what Pandora said about him being at his place if he was sick, it made me realize that Arthur doesn't have a home here so where are we gonna put him. I don't think Geronimo would be happy on letting a super-powered mouse live in his home. I thought about my place and that wasn't a bad idea, but the talk of him being my boyfriend made me embarrassed so I decided against. I then got the idea to let him stay in over by Professor Von Volt's lab. The professor would take a liking to Arthur given what he can do and the Professor would want to study him for that, however, it was the studying part that worried me. Maybe it was those movies I saw a while back but I need to think of where Arthur is going to stay for the time being.

**Arthur: "** Are you okay Thea? You seem to be zoning out.**"**

" what, oh sorry just thinking about something.**"**

**Pandora: "** Well if you're done with that can I ask that you introduce this guy to us at least.**"**

**Later**

Things got more difficult after I introduced Arthur. When Pandora asked Arthur about where he was from Arthur was trying to be honest about it which made me cover his mouth and try to explain that he was from another part of mouse island which made him start shaking. This caught everyone off guard and the way he looked at me was as if he was trying to tell me he couldn't do anything about it. I remembered he told me about his arsenal of abilities so I assumed that this has to be some kind of power, which given what happened led me to think that it was some kind of lie detection. He confirmed my assumptions after I led him down the stairs quickly after he shook and asked about it. He said that with this power he has to hear the truth included which also meant that he was not able to lie himself otherwise his body would shake. The others followed us down the stairs wanting to know how Arthur did that. With there being no way to hide it, I thought about telling them but how would they take it. Before I could say anything Arthur started talking. he told them he wasn't from around here and that he meet me after I saved him after he fell into the ocean. Benjamin then asked about the shaking, Arthur's response was to tell them it's just something his body does and that there's nothing he can do about it.

We were all in the living room talking and while Arthur was asked to talk more about himself, he was dodging the questions but he was being truthful about the things he was saying. He does have years of experience with his powers so I shouldn't be surprised that he picked up a few tricks with his powers. Something that I wondered about was how he looked like everyone else, Sure back where comes from he's probably very well known but here he can easily pass himself off as just another citizen and nobody would be the wiser.

Just then Geronimo's phone rang and he answered, as he spoke to, whoever was on the other end of the line he started to get worried. When he finished he put the phone down and looked at the floor.

**Geronimo: "** I got word that the mayor and his assistant have been taken, hostage**"**

**Arthur:** **"** WHAT!**" **Arthur shouted. We were all just as shocked as him. It had been a few days since anything crime related happened so hearing that the mayor and his assistant was just taken hostage lets us know that the mice who were responsible for the increase in crime weren't done yet.

**Geronimo: "** It gets worse from there. I also received word that a bank is also being robbed and everyone in the bank has been taken, hostage, not only that more mice that work for both the Daily Rat and Rodents Gazette have been taken hostage and are being held at a Salon, and the police are having a shootout with some heavily armed thugs over by the movie theater.**"**

**Arthur: "** All of these are happening at the same time?**"**

**Geronimo: "** yes, they are. It's been a few days since anything happened. Now I see that the short break was so they can hit us with something like this.**"**

**Arthur: "**You're making it sound as if all this was planned.**"**

**Geronimo: " **I have reason to believe that all this was planned.**" **Geronimo said while looking at Arthur. I thought it was best to tell Arthur about the Troubles facing us but Arthur got up and walked to the door and got out of the house.

" What are you doing?**" **I told him while following him outside.

**Arthur: "** If mice are in trouble then I need to go and help them.**"**

" But you can't just go**," **I said to him after grabbing hold of his arm.

**Arthur: "** While it may be true that I am not in the best shape right now and it may be true that this world isn't like the others I've been to, I can't just stand by and let innocent lives be hurt.**"**

The look he gave me as he said that, I knew I wouldn't be able to convince him to back down.

" Okay Arthur, but please be careful.**"**

**Arthur: "** Don't worry Thea, I'll be careful.**" **After that, he flew off. I turned around and saw Geronimo, Trap, Pandora, and Benjamin staring.

Pandora: " Uh, Thea, care to explain what just happened."

**Rooftops**

**Arthur P.O.V**

I landed on the rooftops and remembering what Thea and Geronimo showed me on the way to the clothes store I remember that the Movie theater wasn't too far away. I had to maintain cover so I ran from rooftop to rooftop using my engine ability and surely enough I began to hear gunshots. I made it to the scene of the police shooting at gunmen. I used my enhanced vision and x-ray vision to look into the building the gunmen were hiding in. I counted twelve and these guys were wearing lots of armor to protect themselves and were using multiple high powered weapons. I looked at the cops and saw that many officers were wounded but thankfully none were killed. I had to act fast so I turned invisible and rushed off the building and phased through the wall of the building the thugs were hiding in. I used my Orcanus ability to paralyze all the thugs in the building. Once police noticed the thugs stopped shooting they waited for back up to arrive before they went into the building and saw all the thugs on the ground slowly getting up but unable to reach their weapons as I moved the weapons away from them.

**Officer 1: "** What happened here?

**Officer 2: **" I don't know but be on your guard. Search around, we need to be sure that they don't have any surprises for us.**"**

I had to remain invisible so I wouldn't alert them, although the K-9 units were able to detect my scent so I had to teleport back to the top of the roof I was on and observe the officers making sure things went smoothly. I did notice the officers that were injured being put into ambulances and while I had to be careful not to be spotted I couldn't ignore them so I snuck back in and healed them using my healing abilities. The dogs were barking but since nobody could see what they were looking at I didn't have much to worry about. After I was done I went back to the rooftops, became visible and decided that the bank should be next. As I began to make my way there I began to feel pain and quickly began coughing up blood.** "**Aw man, this isn't good**,"** I said with concern.

**Town Hall**

**Thea's P.O.V**

**L**ater

Geronimo and I arrived at the town hall and we saw a bunch of reporters on the scene. Before we left I had to promise to Ben and Pandora that I would explain everything later because now wasn't the best time because Geronimo and I had something to do. On our way to the town hall, Geronimo and I were discussing what to do about Arthur now that the others saw what Arthur did. I told him that we were going to tell them about Arthur and how he can help us. Geronimo wasn't too sure about the idea, sure Arthur could help but to drag him into our problems just didn't seem right with him. I understood how he felt but by this point we're kind of desperate, plus, Arthur rushed to go and deal with the crimes that are happening so maybe he would be inclined to help. After we made it to the town hall and Geronimo began looking for where to park I was certain that I would see Sally and Simon here but I was more worried about Arthur, I know that he was capable of protecting himself but I couldn't help but worry for him. As we parked the car we saw authorities trying to negotiate with the gunmen inside the building while also getting officers ready to storm the building should things go south.

**Geronimo: "** Come on Thea we need to get ready.**" **weboth got out of the car and began to prepare to report on the story when we heard an all too familiar but unwelcome voice.

** Sally: " **Well look what we have here if it isn't the Stilton media group**"**

" What do you want Sally?.**" **Sally for these past three months has been a real pain on our side. She already was trouble before these three months but ever since the number of crimes started going up she's become an even bigger pest and I swear I am not sure how much I can take.

**Sally: "** Why the attitude, we're just here to see some friends right Simon**?"  
**

**Simon: "** We are, I thought we were here to report on OW!**" **Sally had stepped on Simon's foot to shut him up.

" We are not friends, so why don't you go-.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Now now ladies, why can't we just act like professionals.**" **Geronimo said cutting me off.

" Professional is not the word I would use to describe her.**"**

**Sally: " **And Committed is not the word I would use to describe you, Ms. Stilton.**" **Sally said smugly. I was getting ready to say something when we heard the sound of gunfire and glass shattering.

"What's happening?**" **I asked Geronimo who was looking along with the crowd.

**Geronimo: " **I don't know but I just hope the mayor is alright.**"**

We started hearing more gunshots and authorities didn't want to wait any longer so they began to storm the building. All we could do was just stand by and watch. After a bit, we saw the mayor and his assistant being led out safely, followed by the gunmen who were in cuffs. Everyone started asking the police questions and the response was that while there were plenty of shots fired no one was harmed all though they did find what appears to be blood in the mayor's office and other parts of the building. While this made the others ask questions, Geronimo and I Didn't need to ask anything because we already knew the answer.

"Arthur.**"**

**Sally: "** What was that?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Thea, I think we should get going**."** I agreed and we began to head for the car.

**Sally's P.O.V**

" Hey, where are you going?**". **The Stiltons didn't answer they just got into their car and drove away. **" **Simon, did you see that?**"**

**Simon: "** See what?**" **Simon wasn't paying attention he was recorded the officers taking the gunmen away.

" The Stiltons were acting odd just now. Geronimo's sister said something shortly before they left which peaked my interest.**" **The Stiltons do have a neck for knowing more than what than the rest of us know. So I wouldn't put it past them if they somehow knew more about what just happened. **" **Simon, Those Stiltons may know something. In which case we need to know it too.**"**

**Simon: "** But what is that they know and how can you be sure that it is something that we would want?**"**

"That's what we're going to find out."

Meanwhile

?: " Well, that worked better than I expected."

?: " What is our next course of action?"

?: " Continue to observe to them, I am going to visit our new friend. Perhaps I can persuade him to help us in our next test."

Elsewhere

?: " You all saw that didn't you, it wasn't just me right?"

?: "We all saw it, what do you make of it Maria?"

Maria:" I still need to think things over, in the meantime I want both of you to keep an I on him while I go and check up on Terry. Need to make sure he's still safe.**"**

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer from previous Chapters still apply **

**Chapter 3: Unexpected setback**

**Unknown location**

**Arthur P.O.V**

What I did was reckless, I had just recovered from my injuries, but not even a bit after recovering I went to deal with situations that I was in no condition to deal with. My energy was still depleted, I didn't give any time for my energy to recover and now it may take longer for my energy to be restored. At least I think it will take longer, the Last thing I remember was arriving at Geronimo house before vomiting blood and passing out.

I woke up in an unknown location, It wasn't Geronimo's house because the color of this house didn't match the color of his house. I slowly got out of bed and looked around. My clothes were still on which was good, but I noticed that some of my energy was restored. **"**How long was I out for?**"** I said to myself. My injuries were gone so with that out of the way my energy could slowly recover. I needed to know how long I was out for, but first I needed to know where I was. I looked around the room I was in and found that It looked rather nice. I opened the door and began walking down a hallway and noticed some paintings on the walls, which looked odd. Whoever owned these paintings was into some odd form of art. I entered the living room and saw more paintings on the walls, clear glass indoor-balconies, and a large plant in the middle of the room. I walked around and I began to hear the sound of running water coming from another room. It sounded like someone was taking a shower. The water turned off a few seconds later and soon I heard the door open followed by the sound of footsteps heading my way. Not knowing where I was I needed to hide, So I turned invisible and prepared myself for what was coming. A female mouse with grey fur emerge wearing nothing but a towel, it was Thea. I was at her house, but how? I didn't want to spook her by appearing out of nowhere so I decided to head back to my room. But she was heading in the same direction, she was right behind me completely unaware that I was in front of her, After making it to my room I noticed that I closed the door and opening it would scare her. In that moment of surprise She got a lot closer to me, she was about to bump into me when I quickly made myself intangible and she phased right through. She opened the door and was shocked to see that I wasn't there. She began walking back out of the room quickly when she bumped into me, I hadn't realized that I stopped being intangible.

**Thea: "**AAAAAAH!**" **She screamed before quickly turning and Slapping me as hard as she could.

"OW!**" **I screamed as I knelt on the ground in pain.

**Thea: "**Oh my gosh Arthur is that you!**"**

"Yes, it's me! OW! that hurts.**" **I said after turning visible again.

After things quickly calmed down we both apologized to each other, me for scaring her, her for smacking me even though I felt like she was a bit more justified in her reaction but she still apologized. After she helped me up she looked at me and realized she was still in a towel, quickly blushing before running out of the room. I sat on the bed waiting for her to come back. The mark she made on my cheek may have healed but I remember the way it stung. Thea came back wearing a pink T-shirt and a pink skirt. She looked pretty in those clothes, I blushed at the sight of her. She saw the way I was looking at her and blushed as well. She walked closer to me and I believed she was gonna talk to me, instead, she started pulling my ears. And started pulling me out of the room. **" **OW! What are you doing!**" **I shouted.

**Thea: "** You need a bath, you haven't showered since you got here. Before anything else happens you need to freshen up.**" **Thea said to me firmly.

" Okay but is pulling my ears necessary**," **I said in pain

**Thea: "**It is if your gonna stay at my house.**"**

" You could have just asked me, there is no need for this.**"**

**Later**

As I took a bath Thea told me that she was leaving some new clothes that Geronimo bought for me to wear. After I was done, I saw that the clothes she left me were a blue T-shirt and black shorts. After I put on the clothes she left me, I went to the living room and there she was waiting for me.

**Thea: "**There you are, you hungry?**"**

I haven't had anything to eat since I arrived, my stomach rumbled loudly and Thea heard it, which made her giggle.

**Thea: "** I'll take that as a yes.**" **Thea motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen where she had some take out waiting.

**Thea: "** I didn't know what you liked so I hope you don't mind Chinese food.**" **I was so hungry I didn't care I just thanked her for the food and started eating. As I ate Thea sat next to me and offered me a drink which I gladly accepted. After I finished I thanked Thea again for the food. I decided that now was the best time to ask some questions and I could tell that Thea wanted to ask me questions as well.

**Thea: "** So, can we talk?**"**

" Yeah, lets.**"**

What I learned as we talked was that I was knocked out for a that time the mice in New Mouse City were talking about how the robbery and hostage situations were dealt with. They wanted to know who was responsible for dealing with it and many mice believed that it was either a vigilante or a group of vigilantes. The Police while publicly giving statements saying they don't want vigilantes doing their job, however behind the scenes many of them appreciated the help. With all the craziness these past three months, many of the officers were happy to get some extra help. As for what Thea and the others did for me after I collapsed in front of Geronimo's house was after I collapsed I was taken into the living room and Trap, Ben, and Pandora wanted to know what was going on and Thea had promised to tell them about me which really wasn't all that much, to begin with anyway. Before I could ask Thea anything else, she cut me off.

**Thea: "** Before we go any further I need to tell that we found your hero outfit.**"**

** "** What you found it, where, how?**"**

** Thea: "** Interesting story there.**" **Thea looked away embarrassed.** " **I forgot to mention there was somebody else who knew about you.**" **She slowly looked back at me probably because she believed that I would be upset. I wasn't but I wanted to let her explain.** " **His Name is Volt, Professor Von Volt. He was there on the night you came to our world and has your hero outfit.**"**

How Thea learned that Volt had my hero outfit was back when I was unconscious after I returned to Geronimo's house. While Thea explained to Trap, Ben, and Pandora about me, Geronimo had called Volt and asked him for help since Geronimo believed that he was more likely to be able to understand what was going on. It turned out that this wasn't the first time he had called Volt. while Geronimo was in the clothes store, he called Volt to tell him about me. Volt believed everything Geronimo told him which surprised him, it was then Volt asked for both him and Thea to come see him in his lab. After telling Thea about what Volt told him she was upset Geronimo but she had thought about going to Volt herself so she couldn't be that upset with him. She was curious to know what Volt wanted to show them. She had Trap, Ben, and Pandora to look after me while they were away.

When they arrived at Volts lab they found that he had been working on something. They found that he was working on a suit that looked like it had seen better days. Thea after getting a good look at the suit realized that it was my hero outfit. She asked Volt how he found it. Volt explained that he was sleeping one night when he started hearing really loud bangs coming from the sky. He checked to see two bright lights heading towards the ocean. It took Volt a bit for him to get to the beach but on the way, he saw the big explosion. When he arrived he saw Thea taking me out of the water and going to her bike but since Geronimo was laying next to the bike unconscious Volt offered his assistance. Thea gladly accepted and they went on to the hospital. Volt had asked questions during the trip, but Thea wasn't able to answer them because she didn't know how to answer. After making it to the hospital, Volt went in with her because he was curious about me. While doctors were trying to operate on me Volt saw the doctors throw my suit away. Volt began to think about everything that happened before she found Thea and decided to take the suit while nobody was looking and left and he's had it ever since.

I asked Thea for why she didn't bring up Volt being their sooner but she said because things were happening so fast and things were so confusing she had forgotten to mention. I asked Thea to take me to Volts lab and she said she will but she would also be taking the others. I didn't mind that the others were going along, probably a good thing they knew about my abilities rather than have it be kept a secret. Before we left for Volts I had one more question I wanted to ask.

" Thea, before we go anywhere I need to ask one more thing.**"**

**Thea: "** Sure, what is it?**"**

" How did I end up in your house?**"**

**Thea: "** I'll tell you but can we go to Volt's lab first?**"**

**Later**

We went to Geronimo's house to get the others. As soon as we went through the door Trap, Ben and Pandora began to bombard my questions.

**Ben: "** Where did you come from?**"**

**Pandora: "** How long have you known Thea?**"**

**Trap: "** What are your powers?**"**

**Geronimo: "** I'm sorry Arthur, but ever since we moved you they've been waiting to see you again.**" **

** " **Moved me?**"** I asked confused.

**Thea: "** We'll explain later but now lets just head over to Volt's lab.**" **

The drive to Volt's lab was strange. During the trip, Geronimo, and Thea were looking out the window as if they were looking out for something. Was there something following us. If something like that was going on then I would be able to tell. So while they are driving, I use my Aura ability to look around at the mice we were driving by. With all the turning I was doing Ben looked at me and gasped in amazement because my eyes were grey and cloudly.

**Ben: "** What power are you using? it looks cool, especially with what it's doing to your eyes.**" **The others in the car look at me and while Trap, and Pandora asked me questions, while Geronimo looked away. I Stopped using my Aura ability to tell them about the power.

" This power allows me to see Auras. It makes my vision grey and cloudy and all the people are outlined with a white Aura, but that means they are just regular civilians. If they are covered completely in an Aura then depending on what the color of the Aura is, then it means that they are a certain type of person. But you won't see the Aura's unless you have something to go on. So don't expect to find anything with this power unless you have an idea about what you are looking for. The power becomes more effective the more info you have to go on.**"**

**Ben: "** Tell us what each color means? Please.**"**

" Well, if they are completely covered in a white Aura then that means they are someone who knows something, Blue is an ally, Red is enemy, Yellow is a target. And there are other colors but these colors are the ones people with this power like to see the most. "So things can go a little easier if you two tell me what it is your looking out for.**" **Geronimo and Thea stop looking around and while Thea keeps her eyes on the road as Geronimo begins to speak.

**Geronimo: "** It's Sally.**"**

" The one who runs the Daily Rat right?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Yes, that's right. After you did your thing a week ago Sally has been following us.**"**

" Why would she follow you, I wasn't anywhere near you guys when I dealt with those criminals.**"**

**Thea: "** True, but after you dealt with the guys at town hall, I let your name slip when everyone was trying to get answers. Unfortunately for us, Sally heard and our behavior as we left to go see you made Sally grow suspicious.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Not too long after we found you outside my house and brought you in I went outside to clean up the blood but it was gone. Confused I looked around and Sally's car was there, Apparently, she had been trying to hide but she didn't do a good job at it.**"**

" So what are you thinking, she took the blood before trying to hide.**" **

**Geronimo: "** It's possible, but I don't think she would have had the time to clean the blood get in the car and hide before I got out of the house."

" So what are you thinking?"

Geronimo: " That it may have not been her. if it wasn't her then I don't know who could've done it.**"**

**Thea: " **We can find that out later, but in the meantime, can you look around to see if we aren't followed. From what we heard about your Aura ability can you at least check to see if Sally is around.**"**

**Pandora: "** But what if Sally sees you when your eyes are all cloudy?**"**

" Don't worry I have multiple powers, and one of them is my ability to Astral Project. I could separate from my body and look around the astral plane while you guys are driving and tell you what I find.**" **

**Benjamin: "** Astral plane? you mean like a place full of ghosts?**" **Benjamin asks curiously.

" Yeah**" **I respond

**Benjamin, Pandora, Trap, Thea, & Geronimo: " **Ghosts are real!**" **They all said in shock.

" Well, yeah. some powers allow a person to see them and while others allow them to do more.**" **I told them all. While Geronimo remained quiet Thea asked me not to overexert myself but she was a little nervous. I told her that I would be okay and that I wouldn't go far.

I made sure I was relaxed before I separated from my body. Once I separated from my body and before I could go anywhere once I was one the roof of the car I was met with a chilling sight. Everywhere I looked I saw the spirits of countless mice that ranged from young to old staring at me. Cold, frightening, unwelcome stares. I had been to the spirit world many times in my world but this was something I haven't seen before. The creepiness made me want to go back into my body right away but I had a job to do. Since they were all staring I had to be quick because I wasn't sure if they were going to try and enter my physical body so I phased the bottom half of my body through the roof of the car so I can quickly pull myself back into my physical body. I quickly used my Aura ability to look for Sally. After a few minutes, I couldn't find her. It got too creepy to keep on looking and the idea of having my physical body stolen was another reason why I couldn't remain in the Astral plane So I quickly went back into my physical body. After waking up in my physical body, I was sweating from what I had seen, it was so creepy I wondered why they were all lined up like that and why they were all staring at me.

**Geronimo: " **Did you see Sally?**"**

" What?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Did you see Sally or not?**"**

" Uh, no...I didn't.**"**

**Thea: "** Are you okay, you look spooked.**"**

" Well, when you separate from your body and go into the Astral Plane you are bound to see some creepy things. In the meantime can I ask how long before we reach Volt's lab?**"**

**Professor Von Volts Lab**

**Arthur P.O.V**

We had arrived at Volts lab I wanted to know where my suit was. We saw Volt working on something which I guessed was my suit. As soon as Volt saw me he walked to greet me.

**Volt: "** Greetings, nice to know you are finally awake. I am Professor Von Volt. I am certain Thea has already told you about me and everything that happened in the week while you were out.**"**

" Nice to meet you as well I am Arthur, as for the part you mentioned about what happened while I was out, I have heard some things but If more happened then I would very much like to know. But first, I hear you have my suit.**"**

**Volt: "** That I do. Come with me.**" **Volt showed me my hero outfit, it was still a mess but Volt had tried to see what the suit was made from, I looked at the table where my suit was and I saw a suit that looked exactly like mine next to materials which showed me that he was trying to create an exact copy of my hero outfit.

**Volt: "** heh, sorry but your suit I don't think I have the means to restore it but I do have the means of creating another suit that is just like it. Your suit, while it may look like some ordinary suit you can buy at a store, the suit was meshed with materials that are resistant to heat and other conditions but there was a limit to how much they can take as you can see. I also found that it was meshed with some kind of inhibitor.**"**

" The inhibitor is actually for my powers. My power allows me to copy the abilities of others, so I can have an arsenal of abilities but this power is ranked as a prime ability so to keep me and others like from getting too many powers our clothes have been meshed with inhibitors that prevent us from copying more powers.**"**

**Volt: "** I see, well I don't think you have much to worry about here,**"**

" Well, that may not be entirely true.**"**

**Volt: "** Ah yes, the mouse you fought."

" How do you know about that?"

Volt: " Loud bangs, two beams of light, an explosion, and one of my friends taking somebody out the ocean with injuries that shouldn't be survivable."

" huh, when you put it that way."

Volt: "Well since we are all here perhaps you can tell us who that mouse is. But first, let me check to see if any unwanted guests were around.**" **I tell him that I checked for Sally. But the professor still did a check. Once he was done he stood next to me while Geronimo and the others gathered around. I told them that I would but they needed to tell me exactly what was going on in the city because I remembered Geronimo saying that what happened a week ago was planned so I wanted to know about that. They agreed to tell me so I began to tell them about that mouse I fought.

" Ares, an ancient villain from my world who was a general during a time that is known as the great war. He named himself after the god of war due to his immense power and lust for battle. His power allows him to create weapons out of nothing and infuse them with the energy from the conflict he is in. When was defeated, he was sealed away and remained dormant, until now.

**Thea: "** how did he escape his prison?**"**

" His master weakened the seal so that they would all break at certain points in time.**"**

**Ben: "** So that's how Ares escaped. So then why couldn't you defeat Ares back in your home?**"**

" I tried to but Ares had something I did not expect which completely threw my plans out of whack.**" **Everyone looked at me confused, everything I had said was confusing enough but that last part, they understood.

**Geronimo: "** What do you mean by plans?**" Geronimo was very suspicous.  
**

" Remember when I said I had been to other Earths. Well to explain that you need to know about the universe or rather multiverse, and dimensions. There is an infinite number of dimensions and each dimension has either a single universe or multiple universes. Our dimension has twelve universes that were created by the Omni-king. Every dimension has either an Omni-king or Omni-queen, in our case it's Omni-king. I have visited some other dimensions, for example, I've been to a dimension where there was originally eighteen universes but the ruler I guess woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day and wiped out six of the universes.**" **the look on everyone's faces said so much. Everything they believed about the universe was now shattered and while the Stiltons were trying to grasp what they heard, Volt seemed excited. But he wasn't saying anything yet, guess he just wants to hear the rest of the story.

**Benjamin: "**But the universe is everything.**"**

" I learned from a friend in the twelfth universe that the gods find us believing that pretty funny.**"**

** Pandora: "** Why would they find that find it funny.**"**

** "** I tell you later But back to our dimension. There was a lot more going in the great war but to keep it to the point The great war expanded to all the other universes within this dimension. But the main battles took place in each of the Earths. Ares created an ultimate weapon which he used by infusing all the conflict energy from all the earths into a sword. When he was defeated, his weapon was taken away from him and hidden in another universe. After he broke free from his prison he wasn't at his full power but what he wants is to look for the sword he made during the great war.**"**

**Thea: "** So how do you both get to other universes?**"**

"While usually, speedsters can travel to other universes there are other ways to do it and that is through magical feathers called Wanderer Feathers, which have the power to allow whoever has it to go into other universes. Each feather is in a different color depending on what universe you wanna go to.**" **

**Thea: "** So that's how you got here.**"**

"Yes, though I don't know how Ares got his hands on one, he either must have had one hidden somewhere or someone gave him a feather which led him to this universe.

**Trap: "** But why this universe?**"**

" It's very likely that the sword Ares made is in this world but where I don't know. And like I said before but Ares coming to this universe threw my original plans on hold until I deal with him.

**Geronimo: "** What were you planning to do here anyway?**" **Geronimo asked me sternly.

" If Ares had not broken free then I still would have come here. Because I am looking for someone. And while this earth is different from the others I've been to I have reason to believe that the person I am looking for is like me.**"**

**?: "** And that's where we are gonna stop you.**" **The others quickly turn to look at who just spoke. I had been so focused on explaining I forgot to keep my guard up. There were two mice one was taller and buffer than the other and his fur was peach-colored while his hair was yellow. while the other one had brown fur and his hair was black. Even though he wasn't as buff or as intimidating as the tall one the look on his face let it out that he was no pushover.

" Who are you.**"**

**?**: **"** I am Alden, and the guy next to me is Matt.**"**

**Matt: "** And you are talking about somebody while a scientist is around.**"**

**Alden: "** We know who you are referring to but we will only give you that information if you come along with us.**"**

**Thea: "** Forget it, you think that he's gonna go with you because you asked.**"**

**Alden: "** If he wants to know more about the mouse he is looking for, then he will hear us out.**" **He wasn't wrong, I did come here looking for someone and if these know who it is then I might as well hear them out. I walk towards them but with caution, As I pass by Thea and the others she grabs my paw.

**Thea: "** you can't seriously be believing them.**"**

" Remember I have the power of lie detection, and so far these guys have been telling the truth. And while I may still not like the fact they were spying on us, they do know something about who I am looking for, So I am at least going to hear them out,**" **

**Thea: "** Well I still don't trust them, I think maybe we or just one of us should go with you.**" **It was a bit of a back and forth with her and during our conversation Alden, and Matt had a conversation of their own. When they finished they told us they were willing to work something out.

**Alden: "** After talking with my friend. We have decided that if you want to hear us out then you can call us with the number we're going to give you but if you plan on bringing another you mice into this conversation then let it be mice you can absolutely trustand just a little demand from us which is to keep that scientist out of the conversation.**"**

**Benjamin: " **What do you have against Volt?**"**

**Matt: "** It's not that we don't trust him, it's that we can't trust him. And if you wish to know why then you will agree to talk with us but keep Volt away from the conversation.**"**

**Outside of Volt's lab**

**?: "** Don't you think this is funny?**"**

**?: "** what is so funny Courtney?**"**

**?: "** Well, the spies are being spied on.**"**

**?: "** Maybe so, but we aren't gonna make move just yet. For now, we wait until-**"**

**?: "** Sir, we have a problem!**"**

**?: "** What is it?**"**

**?**: **"** It's Ares, he escaped. Said something about wanting to get rid of him before he gets goes he retrieves the weapon.**"**

**?: "** You wound me Ares, and here I thought we had come to a reasonable agreement.**"**

**The Park**

**Later**

**Thea P.O.V**

The two mice left after they gave Arthur their number, and Arthur gave me the number because he doesn't have a phone on professor was surprisingly very okay with being left out of the conversation. He told us that what Arthur revealed about the multiverse was enough for him because it gave him ideas which he wanted to work on, but he did say he would work on finishing Arthur's suit. He had asked Arthur if he wanted to throw away the ruined hero outfit but Arthur still wanted to keep it, He said it was for sentimental reasons. The professor understood and told him that he would put the ruined hero outfit in a bag once he was done working on the new outfit so Arthur can take it with him.

After we left the professor's lab and drove away, Arthur looked very concerned. He was staring at the window almost like he was staring at something that we couldn't see. I wanted to tell Arthur about the troubles happening in New Mouse City but when I saw Pandora next to him I hesitated. Pandora seems very cheerful, happy and telling Arthur would only ruin the mood, So I decided to wait until I got back to my house.

Throughout the day we had decided to go out and eat at a restaurant and go for a walk in the parkbut the entire time Geronimo was very on edge. He hadn't said anything throughout most of the conversations in Volts lab. While the others were hanging with Arthur, I pulled Geronimo away to talk to him.

" Geronimo, are you feeling alright.**"**

**Geronimo: "** I don't know Thea.**" **He looked very frightened, his tone was quieter, he didn't look like he wanted to be seen like this. it made me worry for him.

" Geronimo, if anything I understand how you are feeling. Our worlds were changed the moment we saw him fall from the sky.**"**

**Geronimo: "** But if he hadn't fallen from the sky our worlds still would have changed eventually. Remember, Arthur said that he was looking for somebody that was like him.**"**

" Yeah, I remember. If Matt and Alden had not interfered then we would have known about who Arthur was looking for.**"**

**Geronimo: "** But that's the thing, Someone like Arthur has been living amongst us for who knows how long and nobody other than those two that showed up knew about him.**" **It then suddenly hit me, I remember on the day I met Arthur, I was at the Abandoned warehouse and I heard the mice talking about how they were trying to lure someone out by committing crimes. Thinking about it, I now believe that this mouse who they trying to lure out is the one Arthur is looking for. I told Geronimo of what I thought but it didn't make him feel any better, he just groaned in frustration.

**Geronimo: "** When you put it like that it makes sense. But since that is the case then I am even more unsure of how to deal with this. And with Ares and the weapon he is looking for in the mix then what we have is a race to see who can get what first. And we're right in the middle of it. If this continues then we could be looking at a fight that can devastate the world.**"**

" Then we make sure that it doesn't come to that. We are the only ones who understand the gravity of this situation.**" **

**Geronimo: "** Do we though?. Everything that has been decided as possible or impossible has just been shattered and things only continue to get crazier from there and while Arthur, those two mice, and if what you said is true about the group responsible for the increase in crime, while they are able to just talk about this like it's no big deal, the rest of us see it as a big deal because it is.**" **Geronimo was getting more and more frustrated, but he wasn't wrong, everything that we have seen has changed our way of looking at things and it makes me wonder how the world would react to it. It's all happening so suddenly that's it's next to, well I wanna say impossible but with all that has happened, I'm not sure if I can use that word.

" Geronimo, while this is difficult, I think it's best if we don't look at it as one big picture, instead let's look at it as individual pieces instead and try to work on how that.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Yeah...okay. Thanks, Thea, I guess with all the craziness I had a hard time trying to remain calm.**"**

" You are usually the one who tries to remain calm about mostly everything even though you are little scaredy mouse.**"** Geronimo laughed and we went back to Arthur who was being crowded by a bunch of mice. We went to see what the fuss was about, we saw him creating balloon animals while performing tricks on a skateboard. I don't know how he got those to start with but I am gonna say it may be due to a power that he has. The children and adults cheered and I couldn't help but smile at how entertaining it all was. Even with the whole stopping Ares, finding whoever he is looking for, I found it comforting that he can smile and lighten everyone's spirits. Once the crowd starts walking away after Arthur is done with his performance I walk over to him. Ben, Pandora, and Trap ask Arthur to do more tricks.

" Those were some cool tricks you did there.**"**

**Benjamin: "** Thea, you should have been here. We asked Arthur if he can do cool tricks with his powers.**"**

**Pandora: "** And after he made sure nobody was looking he lifted his shirt and pink sparkly stuff appeared on his stomach followed by a skateboard come out from the spot were the sparkly stuff was at.**"**

**Trap: "** He then made a bunch of balloons come out of his paws. then started doing tricks with the skateboard while also making balloon animals. You should have seen the tricks he was pulling they were awesome.**" **All three of them were excited to Arthur do more tricks with his powers but I didn't want them to get carried away and accidentally have Arthur get caught. So I asked the three of them to hang with Geronimo While I talk to Arthur. They were disappointed to have their fun end but I wanted to talk with Arthur in private. Pandora grinned, and as she walked away she couldn't help but take a jab at me.

**Pandora: "**

So, are you two going out or what?" I blushed as she walked away with the others, I turned to look at Arthur he was blushing too. **"** I'm surprised that despite everything that's happened, here you are having fun.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well one thing that I learned is that no matter what happens, you have to keep smiling. It assures others that everything is gonna be okay, Plus the ones who always smiling are the ones that are the strongest.**" **As he is saying that he places a finger from each paw on each end of his mouth then pushes them up creating a smile. Those words were rather nice to hear.

" By the way Arthur, if I may ask, where did you get that skateboard and balloons? Was it a power of yours**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah. It's called creation. What it does is that it breaks down lipids into atoms that I can use to create inorganic material.**"**

"Oh...wait a minute, if you can do that then I didn't you make another hero outfit?**"**

**Arthur: "** I could but depending on what I want to make, it would end up taking a certain amount of my energy. Also, I need to understand the structure of what it is I am making otherwise I may make something that isn't how I wanted it. So something like my suit would take up a bit of energy given everything that was used to make it the way it is, I need to understand the Atomic structure of all those things. Also, I am not at full power so I don't want to risk it Because what if Ares shows and I'm too weak to fight him.**"**

" Oh, well when you put it that way. But wouldn't the skateboard and balloons cost energy?**"**

**Arthur: "** Given the level I am at with this power There are somethings I can create without hardly losing any energy.**"**

" The more you explain your powers the more questions I want to ask about them.**"**

**Arthur: " **Well we can do that but I think that we should talk back to your house.**" **I agreed and told the others that it was time we headed back home. I told Geronimo that he can drive the others back to his place because I didn't want Pandora around when I bring what has been going on before Arthur arrived. Geronimo agreed and drove away with the others. When they were leaving I saw Pandora making a heart shape and while I couldn't hear it I knew she was making kissing noises. I wanted to move on from it by just walking and talking with Arthur but then I thought about it. It would just be the two of us walking, blushing, even more, I maintained my distance so that Arthur wouldn't see me blushing. Arthur kept asking me why I was embarrassed but it made me walk farther away from him because I didn't want him to see me like this.

**Meanwhile**

** ?: "** So are you certain you can't find him.**"**

** ?: "** unfortunately no we can't. Should we call off the abductions you scheduled for today?**"**

** ?: "** No, continue as planned. Speaking of which, how about an update.**"**

** ?: "** Well the head of the Daily Rat was abducted early this morning and right now we have mice waiting for the right moment to abduct the special correspondent of the Rodent's Gazette, if I may ask why are we abducting her, shouldn't we be going for the head the Rodent's Gazette?**"**

**?: "** Courtney wants a new toy to play with.**"**

**?: "** But weren't we supposed to observe them.**"**

**?: "** Yes, but don't worry, It's all part of the plan.

**Thea's house**

**Thea P.O.V**

**Later**

We made back home without a problem, I couldn't see Sally anywhere, She would have been spying on us like she been doing throughout this week, but if she were here Arthur would be able to tell. Once inside the house, Arthur sat on the couch. And looked as if he wanted to ask me something.

" Arthur, are you okay?"

**Arthur: "** Yeah, it's just that I want to get something out of my chest.**"**

" Okay, what is it?**"**

**Arthur: "** How did I end up at your house.**"**

" Well, after we learned that Volt had your suit, Volt suggested that we bring you over to him since he believed to keep you safe. Geronimo was inclined to do so and I thought that it wouldn't be such a bad idea. We had to be careful to bring in to his lab though because Sally was hiding so we need to be sure she wasn't around. Geronimo had already seen Sally before we went to Volts so he just went to confront them and She and Simon drove away. So that allowed us to move you. Volt assured us that you would be safe but a four days later Volt called us to tell us that he couldn't keep you safe any longer.**"**

**Arthur: "** What happened?**"**

" Volt was being watched, he said that he was being watched by two mice. Volt would at times catch them watching you while you remained unconscious before they left. Volt tried to keep you safe from the two mice but everything he tried failed. So decided that perhaps you'd be better off somewhere else.**"**

**Arthur: "** Two mice. Well seeing as how we meet two mice who didn't want to me talk about somebody while Volt was around, I can guess who those mice who were watching me are.**"**

" Matt, and Alden. The question is though why"

**Arthur**: **"** The only way to get the answer is to ask them. From what I can guess they seem to have some kind of beef with scientists, But like I said we need we won't know until we ask them. In the meantime finish the story.**"**

" Okay.I convinced Geronimo to let you stay at your house and while he was hesitant, he eventually agreed. Though you weren't in his house for long, only a day. Geronimo told Trap, Ben, and Pandora to let you rest and while Ben and Pandora did just that, trap on the other paw wanted to try and wake you up. When he went into the guest room to wake you up and Geronimo tried to stop him. What both of them saw once they were in the room was everything in the room levitating before slowly falling back into place.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, sorry that happens at times. I have the power of levitation so things like that do tend to happen.**"**

" Well it spooked him and he insisted you stay at my place because if you went to Trap then he would only bother you.**"**

**Arthur: "** Did you see Matt and Alden in your house?**"**

" No, every time I checked you were alone, I would look around to be sure no-one was in the house but I couldn't find anything. You remained in my house for the rest of the week, until you woke up and the rest you know.**"**

**Arthur: "** I see, well do you think you could clue me in on what's been going in the city. I want to know what Ben and Pandora was talking about.**"**

" Pandora?**" **

**Arthur: " **Back at the park Pandora tried to tell me about what was going on in the city but she didn't say much because she almost broke down completely. Ben quickly tried to comfort her and with me not knowing what to do, I wanted to try and lift her spirits by giving her some advice and doing some tricks with my powers.**"**

" So that's why you were performing.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, well it did put a smile on her face but with how quickly the mood shifted when she tried to tell me. I'm not sure if her brave face was to put Ben at ease or was it all an act.**"**

" Okay Arthur, I'll tell what has been going on.**"**

**Later**

** Arthur: "** So I'm not the only one looking for mice and I are looking for the same mouse and Matt and Alden want to help us because they know something about who we're looking for.**"**

" Then I think we need to get into contact with Matt and Alden before this chance slips from our fingers.**" **Arthur nodded in agreement, so I went to grab my phone from my purse and tried calling the number that was given to answered, so I tried calling again, still no answer, I called a few more times but I got the same thing, no response. What is going on? Did they change their minds or what? I didn't know. I told Arthur that I was going to try again in a bit, but first I needed to go to my room. As Arthur was getting relaxed on the couch he began to look nervous.

" What's wrong Arthur?**"**

**Arthur: " **Remember back in the car I said I would my Astral projection to look for Sally.**"**

" I remember, why?**"**

**Arthur: "** Well, while it is true that I couldn't see Sally I did see something.**"**

" What did you see?**"**

**Arthur: "** I don't know myself, so I am going to check again.**" **As he tried to lay relaxed on my couch I went to my room to call Pandora. After the door to my room was closed Pandora had answered and I quickly spoke.

" Pandora, it's Thea,**"**

**Pandora: "**Hi Thea, what's going on?**"**

" Pandora, Arthur told me you tried to tell him about the rise in criminal activity.**"**

**Pandora: "** Oh...Thea I-**"**

" I know meant well, but if you knew that you would start to break down as soon as you told him then you should have let me or Geronimo tell him.**"**

**Pandora: "** I'm sorry, but since nobody told him about it yet, I thought I could, and I was doing well in keeping it together then I started seeing flashbacks of Aunt Petunia being forcefully dragged away and after seeing that I started to tear up.**"**

" It's okay Pandora. Don't worry, with Arthur with us we will find her and everyone else that was taken. By the way, is Ben with you?**"**

**Pandora: "** He's with me right now, he's sitting right next to you want to speak to him?**"**

" Yes, I would like to speak to be-mmmph!**"**

**Pandora: "** Thea?**" **I couldn't respond because my phone had fallen onto the floor after a paw covered my mouth and more paws placed my arms behind my back and began tying me up. I looked at who was tying me up and it was two mice wearing a balaclava and wearing some strange gear. They used a cloth to gag me, and when they tied the gag one of the mice headed for the phone and crushed it while the other mouse tied my ankles. After he was done he picked me up, placed me on his shoulder and starting carrying me out.

" Nmmph lemmhp mph gommph, Armmphr Hmmfph!.**" **As the mouse carried me, he stopped. I tried looking at what they staring at but I couldn't.

**?: "** Ares? What are you doing here?.**" **

**Ares: "** don't mind me I am just here to get rid of a pest.**"**

**?: "**you're not supposed to be here.**"**

**Ares: "** Apologizes but I do not take orders from you. So unless you want to be reduced to bloody stains then I suggest you leave, but be dears and leave her behind I wish to surprise Arthur.**"** The mouse carrying me dropped me and I hit the floor. It hurt but I was more worried about was trying to alert Arthur. I fought to break free from the ropes and as I did, I tried to call out to Arthur but it wasn't working and all that came out were muffled noises.

**?: "** You may be powerful Ares but our boss has broken tougher.**" **The mice left by jumping out the window and using a grappling hook which was attached to a weapon and quickly zoomed away, leaving me alone with Ares. He grabbed me and threw me onto the bed, when he approached me he removed the gag.

**Ares: "** Call him, bring him to me.**"**

**Thea's house**

**Arthur P.O.V**

I was looking at the spirits that I saw earlier, they had been following me because I saw them on the streets on the way to Volts lab but here they were staring at me again. They weren't rushing to attack me or anything, they just stared. I had asked them questions but not a single one answered, as I continued to stare at them they began to appear more clearly and their appearances frightened me a bit. Most of them were frozen and dozens of others looked like monsters. I walked out of the house and more spirits were staring. They were everywhere and no matter what I asked, All I got were stares. Until the spirit of a young boy who was frozen approached me and pointed back in the house. He was trying to tell me something but what, I entered the house again to see the spirits pointing at the hallway that led to Thea's room. Thea was in her room but if all the spirits were pointing to her room then maybe something must have happened. I quickly went back into my physical body and after I woke up I heard Thea scream.

**Thea: "** ARTHUR!**"** Thea sounded like she was in trouble, I ran over to the room and quickly opened the door. As soon as it was opened, I saw Thea bound and gagged but before I could untie her, I heard a voice.

**Ares: "** Surprise.**" **before I could react a sword stabbed me in the back and went through my chest and lifted me.

**Thea: "**Armmmphr!**" **I was thrown across the room and crashed into Thea's closet bringing the doors down and some of her clothes fell on me. Since I had time to recover some of my energy, I can heal faster. After getting Thea's clothes off me I saw Ares standing next to Thea, who was very frightened by what just happened. Without thinking I used my super speed to rush Ares and punched him out of the room, into the streets outside. Good thing the window was open.

" Don't worry Thea, I got you.**" **Thea was shaken but unhurt I was about to remove the gag when Ares rushed me and slammed me against the wall. He was going to stomp on my head when I turned into a pile of smoke and appeared behind him. But he reacted quickly by turning and punching. Dazed he grabbed me grabbed and tossed me out of Thea's room. I hit the wall and when I got up Ares rushed me and pushing me through the wall leaving a big hole. With what little I knew about Thea's house I knew where the living room was at so I grabbed Ares and chucked him into the living room. He crashed out the wall, into the living room and we fought.

**Thea P.O.V**

After Ares and Arthur broke through the wall of my house I heard the sounds of explosions and seeing bright flashes coming from my living room. I needed to find a way out of these binds. I look around for anything I could use, even though there they were causing damage in my house, I could at least use some of the rubble to free myself. Assuming it looked sharp enough and was big enough for me to hold. I was in luck rather than find A piece of rubble I found the sword that Ares used to stab Arthur with near the door frame., I could use it to cut the ropes. I struggled to move off the bed, once I was on the floor, I made my way to the sword albeit slowly but once I got there I began to try to cut the ropes but with sword laying on the ground I had to use my paws to lift the sword enough to even be able to cut the ropes. I was so focused on freeing myself that I didn't hear the noises stop. I looked out the door and tried calling out to Arthur even though it sounded muffled I wanted to see if someone was there. It was quiet, too quiet, then I began to hear footsteps approaching. Thinking if it wasn't Arthur I tried to free myself but I wasn't quick enough and I saw who was making the footsteps.

**Arthur P.O.V**

I couldn't let the fight be in a house that is within a populated area so I grabbed Ares and took to the skies. As much Ares hit me I wouldn't let go I carried him outside of New Mouse City. and flew him as far as I could. I had planned to take him to the mountains I saw in the distance but I only reached halfway when Ares broke my grip over him. But I wasn't about to let him get away so I used my crash ability to cover myself in energy and have that energy build up as I brought Ares to ground making a big explosion. Once I got out of smoke completely intact but my clothes were ruined. I absorbed all the smoke that the explosion made which restored my energy quicker. Ares had gotten up, he was pissed. He created two longswords and I respond with using my blade ability. This power makes yellow blades with black lines in their center appear from my body. Our fight spanned a for a short time, and I noticed that while Ares was strong he wasn't as strong as when I first fought him. But that didn't make him any easier to beat. We were both exhausted and we had made a mess of the area we were in. Throughout the fight, I used multiple powers to try and give me the advantage in the fight but Ares was no run of the mill villain. While Ares could fly and create weapons, back in his day he had taken on all manner of opponents so I had to be on my toes while facing him. But in the end, we both stood getting ready to launch another attack.

**Ares: "** I am impressed, while not at full power you've been able to keep up with me.**"**

" Well, I did go head to head with your boss and won.**"**

**Ares: "** True, however, that strength wasn't your own.**"**

"What**"**

**Ares: "** You may be strong but the strength you used to defeat my master wasn't yours but from a life once lived. And I know that you are working with someone to find the other pieces.**"**

" How do you-AHHHH!**" **

**Ares: "** What!, they found-AHHHH**" **They came fast, a group of mice had hit us with what were darts but these darts were making us feel weak. We fell to the ground as they surrounded us. Whoever they were, they were pros, trained for this sort of thing. While sliding into unconsciousness I heard one of them talking.

**?: "** The four of us will take him, while the rest of you take that one to our doubt he'll let Courtney have fun with him.**"**


	4. Chapter 4

**It took me longer to finish this because of school.  
**

**Disclaimers still apply **

**Chapter 4: why do you smile**

**Unknown location **

**Arthur P.O.V**

**The next day**

Everything felt woozy as I started to become conscious. I remember being knocked out along with Ares before ending up here, wherever here was. As I slowly opened my eyes things looked green, blurry, and...bubbly? As things started to appear I saw that I was in what looked like a pod. The pod was filled with a green liquid and I was breathing through a ventilator, I was still clothed but they were torn from all the fighting, but what's weirder was that I felt myself back at full strength, this was a healing pod? Why would the ones who took me and Ares put me in something that would help me recover? I wondered if they did the same to Ares. I looked around the room from the pod, everything was dark, I couldn't see anything, the only source of light was the light coming from the healing pod. I had no idea what the guys who put me in here wanted with me. Were these the guys Thea told me about, if so then I had to get out, but to my surprise, I found myself unable to use my powers to escape. I tried to break the glass but the glass was strong, But what I noticed was that on my left wrist there was a device there. I don't know what it was but I guessed that this was preventing me from using my powers. I don't know who these guys are but they didn't want me escaping. So, what was I going to do? I thought about for a bit until a door opened and a figure entered the room and turned on the lights. The room was kinda empty, the only thing in this room was the pod. The whole place looked like a warehouse, but where is it located. When the door opened and the mouse came in I noticed plenty of trees in the background. Was I in the woods?

The figure that had walked into the room was a well-dressed mouse, about average height for an adult male, grey his fur was a grey with a little blue in it. His hair was well-groomed and the color of it was brown. He walked up to me and with the push of a button the green liquid started to drain, once it was gone I removed the ventilator from my mouth as he opened the pod. I tried to prepare myself for anything he might pull but he stared at me before pointing at my left wrist.

**?:** " As long as that is on your wrist, you can't use your powers. I trust you had a good rest."

" Who are you and why are you acting like that."

**?:** " I am Max. I am also known as the left paw. I apologize for bringing you here against your will but we knew if confronted you, you wouldn't want to come with us because of that special correspondent."

Hearing that I became more serious. They knew about Thea which made me worry about her safety. Max quickly picked up on my reaction before speaking again.

**Max: **" Don't worry she is safe. Although things could have gone quicker had we done things my way but no he chose Courtney's way, and I had no other option except to follow along."

" Don't you dare do anything to her."

**Max: **" You don't have to worry about me, but let's move on from that subject for now. Are you hungry or thirsty."

"No."

**Max:** " I see, well can I assume you have questions."

" Where's is Ares?"

**Max:** " He tried going against the deal he made with my master, so my master let Courtney have him. It was a real shame, that the healing pod we put you in was meant for him, however since he left before it was finished and since he tried to go kill you which went against the agreement, My master didn't want him to be the first in the pod. Instead, he gave that honor to you, and from what I am seeing the pod is a complete success."

" I was a test subject for that thing?"

Max: " Indeed, My master had something Ares wanted so a deal was made. In exchange for taking part in the test, our master would make something to speed up Ares's recovery. But Ares left to fight you. Luckily we had a device that can be used to track energy signatures. We had sent a team to collect him but he found you before we could get to him. While we had you both on the radar your energy signatures faded as soon as you left the city. We were able to find you thanks to the destruction you caused in the woods."

They couldn't track our energy signatures once we were out of the city? I don't know why but perhaps I could use it to getaway. What I didn't understand was why he was willing to tell me all this. Was it because I couldn't use my powers or could it be that he plans on using Thea as a means of stopping me from trying anything. Speaking of Thea, is she alright? I remembered she was still tied up before I took Ares away. I needed to see if she was alright, however, if I go back into the city then they can track me, but If I stay away, then I end up leaving her in the paws of Max. What was I going to do? I was thinking on what action I could take when I started to hear a screeching noise outside. It sounded like it was coming from a distance and getting louder as it got closer. Max didn't seem bothered by the noise, he started walking away from me before the screeching suddenly stopped. An explosion came from the roof, and two mice appeared from the smoke. It was two mice dressed up what looked like armor, one of them had a giant hammer while the other dual-wielded axes. The one with the hammer hit the floor creating a shockwave that sent max flying across the warehouse. The other mouse grabbed my paw and launched himself and me out the warehouse through the hole. Once out I proceeded to try to thank the mouse who got me out.

" I don't know who you are but thanks. Guess I owe you." The helmet of the mouse came off but it broke into little pieces before merging with the suit. But what got me more was who was behind the helmet. " Alden, what are yo-" Before I could finish I was suddenly hit in the back of the head and knocked out.

**New Mouse City**

**Thea P.O.V**

**Later**

I hadn't seen Arthur since yesterday, after Arthur and Ares flew out of my house, leaving a big hole in the roof. With Arthur gone I had to resort to using the blade Ares used to stab Arthur. After I began to footsteps approaching the room I was tried to quickly free myself but it was too late and I saw who made those noises. I was relieved to see that it was Alden who quickly untied me. He asked what happened and after I told him he said that would go after him. After leaving I looked around my house to see what was destroyed, The only parts of the house that were ruined were the living and wall in the hallway. The living room was destroyed, swords scattered about and some stuck to walls, I saw some pillars of ice, Other parts of the living room were burned, It was just a mess. When I got out of my house there was a crowd waiting, they all wanted to know what was going on but I didn't answer them, I walked without saying a word and stared at my house from the streets. It didn't look bad from the outside except now there was a noticeable hole in the roof. Mice around the area didn't know what to make of the loud noises coming from my house followed by something breaking a hole in my roof. It wasn't long before Geronimo arrived with the others. Pandora and Ben had suspected something was wrong and got Geronimo to take them to see if I was alright. They found me looking at my house across the street and immediately tried to comfort me. After I assured them that I was fine I told of what had happened. Geronimo ran into my house to see the damage before the police arrived when he returned he was very angry. He invited over to stay at his house for the time being and once we were in the car on Geronimo let out his frustration. He went on about how we were in way over our heads, that this whole went beyond anything we've ever dealt with, that we were just pawns in some larger game and that it doesn't matter what side we take because everything that has happened and what may come next is stuff out of our league. I understood his frustrations, this whole thing was just as crazy for us as it was for him, And the fact that we are the only ones who know what is going on makes things more difficult. But thinking about, we had already put ourselves on this path the moment we and our friends agreed to figure out the mystery behind the increase in crime and the disappearances. Even though what is happening is out of our league, what I realized after looking back on what happened before and after Arthur fought Ares in my house, was that we may not be able to do much in our case, but we just have to play the cards we're dealt with, because like it or not we were in this all the way.

I was resting up in Geronimo's house when Pandora entered the room I was staying at.

Pandora: " Hey Thea, are you holding up okay."

" I'm doing okay."

Pandora: "So, your house?"

" I'm gonna have to wait until they fix it, until then I am staying here."

Pandora: " Do you know where Arthur went by any chance?"

" No, I don't."

Pandora: " Do you blame him for what happened to your house. Geronimo is beginning to think we should stay away from him."

" I don't blame Arthur for anything. I see it as proof that we are the only ones who know of what's really going on.

Pandora: " Well, Geronimo, is thinking that we're in way over our heads and that the chances of us seeing our friends and loved ones again is almost non-existent given what we are dealing here."

" Then I am just going to have to speak with him about that, where is he?"

Pandora: " He is in the kitchen."

In the kitchen.

Geronimo's been getting more stressed out. I understand why he would feel that way, I was almost kidnapped and witnessed someone I cared about being stabbed, it didn't matter if could heal from it, he was stabbed and that image is gonna stick with me. Despite my feelings, however, I had to try and help him remain calm. When I entered the kitchen I saw him eating his favorite snack, but the look on his face showed he had a lot on his mind.

" Geronimo, can we talk?"

Geronimo: " What, oh sorry Thea, I didn't see you there. Yes, we can talk."

" Do you blame Arthur for what happened?"

Geronimo: " I didn't want to but every time I think about it, all I see is you in trouble and him not being there to save you. For someone powerful and who claims to be a hero, he sure wasn't there to protect you even though he was in the same house as you.

" He was busy with something, which was why he couldn't show up sooner, plus I don't think that it's fair to hold him to the standard your holding him to. He may be a strong hero, but he is still just a mouse."

Geronimo: " A mouse who can fly, turn invisible, and can do probably so many other things, our Definitions of what is just a mouse might be a little different. Where he is from maybe he could be considered as just a mouse but here we don't have mice that can do what he does. Or so I thought because now I have to deal with the fact that a super-powered mouse was living among this whole time and this whole thing has just been an attempt by the mice were after to lure him out. Apologies but this stuff out of my league, it's out of all our league's, we were not prepared for this."

" I know you're frustrated, I am too and your right. This is stuff out of our league but we have to play with the cards we're dealt with, because like it or not we are in this all the way. And their things at stake here like our friends that may just be pawns for something beyond what we are used to, but that doesn't change the fact that they are in trouble and we have to help.

Geronimo paused to think about what I had just said. With all that has been happening, I was beginning to think that he let the thought of our friends slip his mind. I think with the reminder of why we started this journey may help motivate him to keep going. He looked down at his snacks and just stared. Not sure what he was thinking about but I think it would be best to leave him be for a while and let him come back on his own.

I left the kitchen and found Benjamin in the living room playing on his Ben Pad. Very sure he was listening to our conversation. When he looked at me, he put the Ben pad away and walked up to me.

Benjamin: " Is Geronimo going to be alright?"

" I'm certain he is. If you'll excuse I am going to look for Arthur."

Benjamin: "You're going to look for him, then I am coming with you."

" Sorry, but if Ares shows up again its best your not around."

Benjamin: " But what if he takes you, and Arthur is not around."

" Then, if Arthur showed up here then you can tell him where I went."

Benjamin: " Well...okay, but I have been meaning to ask you about Arthur."

" About what?"

Benjamin: " Well, both of you have been hanging out for a bit and Pandora's been teasing you about that."

Pandora: " I was only having fun." We turned to see Pandora who was standing by the stairs. She had a little smile on her face, but she was looking different than how she looked yesterday. She was looking sadder but with that smile, it meant that she tried to remain hopeful. I probably knew what was already on her mind. She walked next to Ben and was very close to him which made Ben blush a little. Thinking about Arthur I did see that he and I spent plenty of time together, although it wasn't for the reasons Pandora joked about. Maybe we could at least talk once things were done. I blushed at the thought, so I asked Ben to look after Pandora while I went to go look for Arthur.

As soon as I opened the door I was greeted with the not so welcome face of Simon Squealer. Although he did look very upset. But I didn't have time, I had to go find Arthur.

Simon: " Oh, is Geronimo here?"

" What do you want Simon?"

Simon: " Look, I know you don't want to see me but if you'll just give a minute to explain why I am here-"

" I don't have to give you anything, all you and your boss have ever done is cause us trouble and now you want me to give you the time of day to hear whatever scheme you planned for us. I don't think so, why don't you just turn around and walk away, we have important things to worry about.

Simon: " Look I know I've messed around with you before-"

" Messed around. Spreading false rumors about me and brother, stealing our scoops, and having us mousenapped is just messing around to you!"

Simon: " Well, when you put like that it does sound pretty bad."

" It is bad, I don't know what your doing here but it would best if you leave."

Simon: "But I-"

" Leave, NOW!"

Benjamin: " Thea. Pandora, Geronimo, and I have been listening in and I think Geronimo would want to say something."

Geronimo: " That I do, Simon I told you yesterday were not falling for it again.

" What did he want exactly?"

Geronimo: " After we left you at the park with Arthur, we went home, but once we were there we found Simon waiting there for us. We were less than happy to see him, When we asked him what he was doing there he brought up how Sally was abducted and that we needed to go save her."

" Oh, is that so, did you think that we wouldn't learn from the last time you pulled that with us."

Simon: " But this isn't this time I swear it."

" Simon we've wasted enough time with this, I have somewhere to be and you need to leave and stop trying to pull this stuff with us, we've had it." I walked away, and Simon still insisted that he was telling the truth. I just can't find myself believing in anything he says, and while Geronimo may eventually want to hear him out, I just can't find myself doing that. If Arthur was here then maybe he could have used his lie detection ability to see if he was telling the truth but he isn't here so I have to go and look for him. Hopefully, I can get to him before anything happens to me, but if anything does happen then I hope Arthur will make a dramatic entrance before saving me. I started to feel weird after thinking about Arthur, I blushed, my tail began to wag, not from annoyance, but my feelings towards Arthur. Embarrassed I ran while thinking of anything I could to get my mind off Arthur while I looked for him. " Where is he?"

**Unknown location**

**Arthur P.O.V**

**Later**

I don't know what that was all about, they saved me and then they knock me out. I woke up next to the tree. The device that was on my wrist was removed though I don't know how they did it. I walked around for a bit until I heard someone approach me. It was Alden he was walking towards me while wearing regular clothes.

Alden: " So glad to see you are awake."

" Why did you knock me out?"

Alden: " Apologies, but if we were to get you to safety quicker then we had to knock you out. Plus it made what we did easier."

" What did you do?"

Alden: " Well to get that device off the quickest way possible was by cutting your arm off."

" YOU DID WHAT!"

Alden: " We had to it was the fastest way we could remove the device. We don't have the tools to remove it, so this was the best way to do it."

" So you knew about my healing ability?!"

Alden: " Of course, we've been observing you ever since you got here, We don't know how many powers you have but we assumed that you had plenty of powers."

" Well. you're not wrong there. But what did you do with my arm?!"

Alden: " I had Matt give to a friend to dispose of it."

" Friend?"

Alden: " Can't say that much about her, but she was the best choice for disposing of something like your arm. And she was the one who blew a hole in that warehouse. It took a lot of convincing to finally get her to help, She hates being away from Terry for too long."

" Terry?"

Alden: "He's the mouse you're looking for." Alden didn't wish to speak more about Terry, he said that he would do it unless Thea was present. I asked why he wanted Thea specifically but I was told that after observing her and the others while I was unconscious, and how she and I have been spending time together, Matt and Alden agreed that she would be more understanding of what will later be revealed. Matt explained that he and Alden want to help Terry, however, their friend wants to keep Terry as far away from everyone as possible.

Alden explained that they have been going against the wishes of their friend who guards Terry. The reason why they didn't pick up the phone when Thea tried calling them was do to Matt and Alden's friend being furious that they had spoken to me while I was in Volt's lab with the others. Alden then asked I return to Thea, if she was almost mousenapped then it could happen again. He was right though I did have to go and check on Thea. I thought of how crazy things have been for her and her family, so perhaps it would be best if for today we spend time trying to know each other better, hoping that it would ease the tension of all the craziness. I felt my tail began to wag, I blushed. I wasn't sure how to take these feelings, because while Thea is cute, I was nervous about getting closer to her. I quickly brushed off the thought and made my way to New Mouse City to find Thea.

Before I left Alden stopped me, he had asked me about what I knew about the increase in crime in the city and all the abductions. I told him what Thea had told me to which Alden responded by filling in the blanks. The mice responsible for the increase in crime were indeed part of a large group meant to lure out the mouse who I am looking for, Terry. The reason why they are here in the first place was because more than three months ago Terry, Alden, Matt, and their other friend whose name was Maria arrived on Mouse Island. They had been looking for a place to hide because they were being followed. They had found a cave and chose to use that as a hiding spot but they found something there which was the reason why they haven't left the island and why the mice that have been following them chose to set up shop on the island. The mice who had been following them and who were responsible for New Mouse Cities problems were led by two mice, Courtney who was the right paw, and Max who was the left paw. What Matt, Alden, and Maria found that the mice following them couldn't find them. After a bit of investigating they found that whatever was in the cave was hiding Terry and Maria's energy signatures leaving them undetectable, however, they did find that if they enter the city they become detectable to their enemies radar, So for their safety both of them have to remain either in the woods or the cave. Alden cut the explanation their but warned me that it would be a bad idea to go and rescue the mice that have been abducted, these guys didn't mess around, if I made any move they would have no qualms about killing all the mice they have captured. The best way to save them would be to wait until they make a move. He also mentioned that their plans shifted when Ares and I arrived here, so Alden had no doubt that Courtney and Max would use their victims as a means of getting me to take part in one of their tests. I didn't know how long I would have to wait, and I didn't know what Courtney and Max had planned for me with their victims, but if playing along is what will allow me to save them then I had no choice but to play along.

**New Mouse City**

**Thea P.O.V**

**Later**

I spent the last thirty minutes searching for Arthur but had no luck. Wherever he went, I hope he's alright. I was passing by a store that had TVs close to the window, that was currently showing the news, reported by the Daily Rat. A reporter for the Daily Rat had begun reporting Sally's disappearance, watching that report a part of me thought that Sally was abducted while the rest of me thought that this was just another one of her schemes. She pulled this before so I don't want to fall for it again, so I just kept walking. But hearing the word disappearance I thought of all of my friends who went missing. It got me wondering, The ones responsible for all those abductions, I remember on the night I met Arthur they were following the orders of someone named Courtney, And that they were trying to lure out the one Arthur is looking for. Why was she trying to lure him out, was she related to him? I didn't know, but I thought back to when I was almost abducted, I heard one of the mice tell Ares that their boss had broken tougher, and Arthur did say the mouse he is looking for is like him, so could that mean that this mouse was stronger than Ares and Arthur? I didn't know but if it is true then we need to find him before they do.

Which made me think about the mouse Arthur is looking for and Arthur himself, if all the abducted victims failed to lure out the mouse they were used to lure out then why would the mice who took them keep them. I began to think that maybe their objective may have changed after Arthur appeared. I haven't heard of any other abductions after Arthur appeared, and when Arthur woke up crime resumed with the hostages and the bank robbery. The mice responsible paid no attention to the hostages except for making sure that the hostages were tied up. The victims after they were saved said the gunmen acted as if they were waiting for something, And the bank robbers while they blew open the vault didn't go in to steal the money. They were walking around waiting for something to happen. After their arrest they wouldn't answer any of the questions the authorities had for them no matter how hard the police tried. Could it have been just a test for Arthur? if so then how could they have known that Arthur would come to stop them and save the hostages? Unless they were also their during the fight and saw Arthur save me from Ares when he tried to kill me which gave them an idea as to the kind of mouse Arthur is. If that's so then what if the reason why they are still holding on to all their mousenapped victims is that they have something planned for Arthur. Those mice are already familiar with super-powered individuals so wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that they made a change of plans after seeing Arthur and Ares fight. Plus the mouse who was holding me told Ares he wasn't supposed to be in my house, and the way Ares spoke to them, it's giving me the idea that they were working together but Ares went rogue. If all these ideas were the case then wouldn't be a good idea to have Arthur go out and find all the mice that were abducted. If they do have a plan for the mice they abducted then if Arthur were to go and save them they would only end up in more danger, especially since one of the victims is the niece of Creepella, so with a child in danger then it would be too dangerous to act if they know Arthur is coming. All these thoughts were bringing down the mood, I was worried, I didn't know what to do. Would the best thing to do in this situation would be to just wait and see what happens, I didn't like it but if I was right then I had no other option.

I was with a group of mice waiting to cross the street, there were also mice on the other side of the street, once the light gave the go-ahead, we went. I was in the middle of the crosswalk when a familiar figure stopped right in front of me.

Arthur: " How's it going."

" Arthur!" I jumped up and hugged him as soon as I saw and heard him. I was so glad to see that he was okay, I blushed so feeling embarrassed I let him go, the look on his face, he was blushing but was also nervous. He looked away from me before he started speaking.

Arthur: " Are you doing alright?"

" Yes, I'm feeling better although my house is a bit of a wreck."

Arthur: " I am so sorry."

" Don't be, you did save me from being mousenapped after all."

Arthur: " if you would like I could fix up your house?"

" Appreciated but you don't have to-" Right as I finished we heard the cars honking at us to get out of the way. Spooked I grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled back onto the street I was on before I crossed.

I was feeling a bit hungry and assuming Arthur was to I took him to a restaurant near here. After we sat down the waitress approached us and asked us for our orders. I ordered a sandwich while Arthur asked for the same thing but with a side order of fries. As for the drinks we both ordered coffee. While we waited for our food I looked Arthur but he wouldn't look back at me, his paws were close to his mouth, he was deep in thought. I wanted to ask him but about what happened with Ares, did he defeat him or what? Whatever his mind was on I didn't want to interrupt him just yet. Finally, the waitress brought our food and Arthur quickly started eating.

Once we finished our meals, we got a refill for our coffee and after I paid we walked out of the restaurant. I looked at Arthur while we walked and he had this look of guilt, worried I asked him what was wrong. " Arthur, what's wrong?"

Arthur: " It's just that I feel bad for having you pay for everything. You got me new clothes, you bought me food, and have been nice to me. And what have I done to pay you back."

" You don't have to pay back anything, you did save me after all so I am willing to say that I owe you."

Arthur: " Still though, I wish I could do something nice for you. But I don't have any money to treat you something nice." Arthur paused for a minute before snapping his fingers and smiling.

Arthur: " But what if I use my powers to do something for you?"

" I was beginning to think he was about to ask me on a date, Blushing I wanted to say something but I was waiting to see if really would ask me out."

Arthur: " What do you like to do for fun?"

" One thing I like to do is go surfing when I have the time."

Arthur: " then that could be something that we could do."

" Go surfing?"

Arthur: " Yeah, and I could use my powers to make things more fun." The way Arthur was acting he didn't look like someone who wanted to ask me out on a date but more like someone who wanted to pay back a debt. But I detected a hint of what he might have been feeling when he asked me that.

" Well, I mean, things have been pretty crazy so far and I was thinking some stuff that was really bringing me down so after seeing you I was really happy, and maybe going surfing may lighten the mood a bit more so...okay sounds great."

**Geronimo's house**

Before we went surfing I had to get some stuff first. We had gone to my house and from the looks of things there weren't any crowds gathering, just mice walking past my home as if nothing happened to it. I could still see the hole in the roof, I turned to look at Arthur who currently had a guilty look on his face again. After we went to the door, I found that it was unlocked, opening it I was greeted by the mess that was once my living room. The path to my room was still clear so that was a good thing. I made my way carefully to my room while Arthur walked towards the center of what was once my living room. I had gone to my room and it was still as how it was left only difference was the sword I had tried to use to free myself was gone, and so was the bloodstains on the floor, and the clothes when Ares threw Arthur into the closet. Where did they go? It was something I could ask Arthur about but maybe later. I had gotten the things I would need for the trip. Once I had gotten everything I checked on Arthur who had fixed the living room. Everything was as good as new except for the wall, but Arthur emerged from it and I saw what looked like cement coming out his paw, he covered the hole he and Ares made with cement before hardening it making the wall as good as new.

Arthur: " I know you said I didn't have to but I wanted to." He said as he turned around to look at me.

Arthur: " So you got everything?"

" I did, got my surfboard and everything."

We had gotten into my car and drove to the beach, on the way their I called Geronimo to tell him I found Arthur and that the both of us were going to hang out for a bit, and that I would inform him if anything happens. Geronimo was relieved that I was okay but he told me that Simon was still pestering him about Sally and that he had seen the news report about Sally's disappearance. Geronimo while still being skeptical had begun to think that Simon may be telling the truth. I told him to be careful and he wished the same for me. Before I hung up I told Geronimo what I had thought while I was searching for Arthur. Geronimo mauled this over for a bit before responding, he had suggested that if what I had said was the case then the best we could do was wait. Arthur was next to me while I was talking to Geronimo, he didn't look that surprised, in fact he looked like he knew about what I was talking about. After I hung up Arthur told me what had happened to him after he fought Ares. Alden had confirmed what I had suspected so the best thing to do to save the mousenapped victims was to wait. I just hope we didn't have to wait too long.

**The Beach**

After arriving at the beach, Arthur got out to carry all the stuff for our time at the beach, while getting the stuff out of the car, I took the time to change, I wanted to tease Arthur for a bit so I didn't wear what the purple swimsuit I usually wear when I go surfing, instead I just wore a red and white striped bra and underwear. I got out of the car to see Arthur, when he saw me he froze, his face went completely red and just stood there not knowing how to react. " Oh come on Arthur, if I am going to change then you should too."

Arthur: " But...I don't have anything to change into."

" Just take off your shirt and that should be all." Arthur followed me while I looked for a good spot. after finding a spot Arthur began to set up the blankets and beach umbrella afterward he removed his shirt albeit hesitantly. When he took off his shirt off he acted very nervously. His face was red, and he just stared at me. I was in nothing but my bra and underwear and I'm guessing this his first going to the beach with a girl so I might have some fun with it. Things took a bit of an awkward turn when somebody complimented Arthur's Tattoo?

Male beach mouse: " Hey man nice tattoo."

" You have a Tattoo?" I asked interested.

Arthur: " It's not a tattoo." Arthur said raising his voice a bit, while still looking embarrassed. I Didn't know he had tattoo, I wanted to see it. I walked around him see what it was and the tattoo was big, it took up most of his back. The tattoo was of a sun and moon, with the sun on the dark side and the moon on the light side. It looked faded like what other tattoos look liked on someone after some time had passed. " That's an interesting tattoo you have there, didn't think you were the kind of guy to get one." I said teasingly but Arthur expression changed.

Arthur: " It's not like wanted it and didn't you hear me earlier I said it's not a tattoo okay, I was born with this thing." Arthur looked stressed, he sounded angry, I don't know what got into him but talking about the mark on his back was something he was sensitive about. We came to this beach to have fun so I'll leave the subject alone for the time being. " Sorry, I was just curious."

Arthur: " No I'm sorry, it wasn't right to act out like that, it's just that this mark on my back it makes nervous because...never mind. We are here to enjoy the day so that I can see that beautiful smile of yours again." Arthur's smile came back but quickly disappeared as he recoiled in embarrassment, he was blushing even more now. Probably with what he just said, It was kinda funny but the smile he put on before recoiling it didn't feel like a genuine smile, the whole mood shifted because of the mark and it just felt weird, hopefully, our time hears would change that. I picked up my surfboard and was getting ready to go into the water. " So Arthur, from where I'm standing the other surfers don't seem to be having a good time. They look like their waiting for a decent wave to appear."

Arthur: " I can fix that." Arthur says while looking away from me.

" Do you have the power of water?"

Arthur: " I do. I generate or control water." Arthur began to look sad which made wonder why was he sad. I thought back to his explanation about how his power works, he has an arsenal of abilities which he got by copying the abilities of others, so what if his power of water reminded him of someone. He quickly snapped out of it and smiled before asking me to go into the water.

Once I was in the water and on my board I waved to Arthur signaling him that I was ready for whatever he had planned. I saw him raise his paws slowly and felt the water begin to rise to form a big wave. I was pretty sure that everyone on the beach would be looking in surprise over how big the wave was but for me was to busy having the time of my life, laughing, and yelling it was a heck of a rush. After the other surfers and I finished riding the wave I saw Arthur creating more waves. After I've had enough I went back to Arthur, who looked very pleased with himself.

" What's with that big smile?" I asked interested.

Arthur: " Seeing everyone smiling laughing and having a good time, is something that I like. Because it tells me that I accomplished what I wanted. And that's to make people smile."

" Is that why you smile?"

Arthur: " Yeah, when a hero smiles it means that everything is going to be okay, especially if they are smiling during a very bad situation. As long as we smile then the people will have someone to rely on when things get tough. Someone who can tell them don't worry because we are here. So hopefully you can understand why I don't like the idea of not being able to do anything while there are people in trouble. I don't know anything about this world, and whenever I go into another world I try to be careful and learn as much as I can about the world I'm in before I do anything."

" So when you came to our world the way you did on that night it made things difficult because you didn't know what to expect."

Arthur: " Right." things were getting kind of gloomy so I asked Arthur if he wanted to go for a walk. He accepted and we spent the next hour walking around. I got to see Arthur as a kind, caring person who wants to help others and do whatever it takes, all the while smiling. I couldn't help but get closer to try and hug him but he kept his distance. Throughout our time at the beach, we ate ice cream, played in the water, built a sandcastle which Arthur was to build easily thanks to a power that lets him generate and control sand. Later on while I waited for Arthur to return with some more ice cream with money that I gave him, four mice approached and began hitting on me, While three were persistent the fourth one asked if I would be interested in playing Volleyball with them since there were looking for more players. I looked around for Arthur and he was making his way back. I accepted his invitation to play and told him I would get the mouse I am with to play as well. The three mice who were hitting on me backed off as soon as they saw who I was with. I asked Arthur if he wanted to play and he agreed. Before the game started all the mice who agreed to play were split into two teams, not wanting to end up on the team with those mice hitting on me I made sure I ended up on the same team Arthur was in. One of the three mice became even more persistent that I join his team but I made it clear that I wanted to be on the team Arthur was in, The mice making the teams agreed especially since Arthur was standing close to me watching the way their friend was acting towards me. So, not wanting to upset him they put me on the team Arthur was in. When the game started that same mouse that was acting more persistent tried acting aggressively towards Arthur. Arthur kept things fair so he didn't use his powers instead he opted for him and me to work together. Through teamwork, we were able to win the game fair and square, after we won I rushed over to hug him which caught him by surprise. After I let him go, we blushed but Arthur looked nervous before taking a few steps and looked away from me leaving me confused. But I didn't have time to ask him what was wrong because that same mouse who was persistent with me wasn't having it with the lost. He began to accuse Arthur of cheating and tried to fight him. Arthur was able to win without using his powers and without having to clench his fist, he just kept blocking, dodging and ended the fight by grabbing the mouses arm and slammed him onto the sandy floor. By the point the other two mice went to pick their friend and carried him away, telling him that he wasn't going to win. Before they carried him away I walked up to the mouse and slapped him, before walking back to Arthur.

We had gone back to play within the water to help us move past what happened. After we were done we went back to our spot to just sit and watch the sun as it begins to set. We had enjoyed our time at the beach, our time here definitely helped in relieving the tension. I wanted to sit closer to Arthur but given how he acted whenever I got close to him I felt it best it stay where I was. I began to blush thinking about my feelings towards him, my tail began to wag, I had begun to fall for him but I guess he didn't have the same feelings for me. Or maybe it could be because he is already in a relationship? That brought me down, So I decided that it was time to head home. Arthur began to pick up the blankets, the beach umbrella, my surfboard and made his way to the car. I followed behind thinking about asking him if he liked me. Once everything was in the car, Arthur was ready to leave, but before I turned on the car I wanted to ask him something.

" Arthur, can I ask you something."

Arthur: " Sure what's up?"

" Are you...seeing anyone by any chance?" Arthur blushed, he was having trouble figuring out what to say next.

Arthur: " Well, uh...why do you ask?"

" I'm just curious because I think that I have a thing for you." Arthur's face went as red as a tomato after hearing my confession, he paused for a few minutes before finally saying anything.

Arthur: " Well don't get me wrong Thea your cute, beautiful even, and after all this time, I also have begun developing feelings for you, however, I'm not sure I wanna do anything with that because I'm...scared."

" Scared?" I asked confused, why would he be scared of falling in love with me?

Arthur: " I'm scared because what if it ends up like the other relationships I've been in ." Arthur began looking frightened he turned his head to look at the window and refused to look at me.

" You've been in other relationships? What happened?" I asked very concerned, seeing Arthur this way is unnerving. Not too long ago he talked about smiling no matter how bad it gets but now here he is looking scared, vulnerable even.

Arthur: " Sorry, but I'm not sure I want to talk about that."

" I understand, but can you at least tell me what the mark on your back is. You said you were born with it so I am just curious."

Arthur: " sorry but this mark is also related to why I am scared of going into a relationship, however it is also served as the means for how I was gonna find Terry."

" Okay, if you can't tell me about its connection to your personal life I completely understand but can you at least tell how it was gonna help you find Terry?" Arthur sighed before looking down and started talking.

Arthur: " If I explained how the mark could help me find Terry then you're going to ask what it is, which is territory I don't want to cross because whenever I think of this mark it makes me uncomfortable. This mark has caused me a lot of pain and it makes me question whether my actions are my own."

" No Arthur, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to because the way this mark is making you feel, I don't like looking at you when you're like this, you're supposed to be the hero who is always smiling, not this."

Arthur: " You did want answers and given everything you've done for me, It's the least I could do. Also to explain how this mark can help me find Terry, I also need to explain what it is. So, here I go, This mark on my back is supposed to represent the universe I am from, The twelve universes have a symbol the represents them and the mark on my back represents the eighth universe. Just like how I was born with this mark Terry must have been born with the mark the represents this universe."

" But how do you know all that?"

Arthur: " Back in my universe I fought a villain who told."

" He could have been lying to throw you off."

Arthur: " I have the power of lie detection, so for the rest of my life I can't hear anything but the truth, I can't lie to which again is why I have to be honest. Anyway, this villain I fought, he's the evil half of a very powerful warrior from my world."

" Evil half?"

Arthur: " like I said this villain was one of the halves of a warrior, and this warrior was the first person born with powers. My world is filled with many powers that range from cool to bizarre, and weak to powerful, and the reason for that was because this warrior's power allowed him to make powers out of anything. And during the great war, he ended up in other worlds across the Multiverse which led to him making all kinds of power however as time went on and more people and animals were being born with powers, the powers began to evolve, some mixed with others forming new powers."

" And other people with powers were being born how?"

Arthur: " It all starts with one, then becomes two, over time that number continues to grow. This warrior who I am gonna call hero was around before the great war began so the population of super-powered individuals was starting to grow when he met someone and started a family. By the time the war started, he was already strong but the war made him stronger. He befriended creatures from all over the multiverse, he even befriended the gods. Together they were able to win the war. But it was hero who delivered the finishing blow which he was able to do with the energy he received from the gods during the final moments of the fight against the leader of the invaders."

" Invaders? Who were they all fighting?"

" A monster who conquered many other dimensions was coming here to conquer ours so the Omni-king gathered armies to stand and fight. We even received help from armies in other dimensions and we won. After the leader of the invaders was defeated many of the enemy forces went home but many others stayed, some were very dangerous and strong but after their leaders defeat they went into hiding and waited. Many years after the war Hero had gotten into an incident where his current family at the time was killed by a monster that remained in our dimension after the war. The rage he felt, hero didn't want to lose control so he expelled all the negative energy from himself but this created his evil half. The evil half battled Hero but Hero emerged victorious, which is something that would happen time and time again until the evil brother decided to train to get stronger and build an army. The evil brother remained in shadows building his army slowly. When Hero caught on he began to build his very own army. Both Armies went to war and it ended with Hero winning which led the world into a new age, an age of heroes, however even though Hero won, the war against his brother would never end, because he couldn't bring himself to finish him. Overtime Heroes age started to catch up with him, he had defeated many enemies in each of the other universes which he sealed away but he knew that he would get too old to continue his fight so what he chose to do was split his soul into twelve pieces and send each piece to each of the Earths. But he didn't do it in order, he sent each piece depending on what threat he sealed away would awaken soon. So that way the piece he sent over would be old and prepared to fight it. I don't know why he did it like this though but one thing I do know is that the piece from the twelfth universe is the oldest while Terry who is from this universe, the first universe is the youngest, I also learned from the piece over in the twelfth universe that Terry is the most powerful."

" So all the different pieces are born with the symbol represents their universe."

Arthur: " Exactly and the evil brother knew this but instead of killing me he chose to torment me. Probably not only because of the symbol but because of my powers, I can build an arsenal from the powers I copy so I guess I reminded him more of his good half."

" So, that's why you don't want to get closer to me, he's still out there, and your afraid that he may come and get me?"

Arthur: " Not exactly, while I am afraid of him, but he's no longer out there in hiding, he's in prison. I beat him but it wasn't with my strength, but by the power of the mark."

" Power of the mark?"

Arthur: " Remember hero received power from the gods to deliver the finishing blow but that energy never left him, but with how powerful that energy was he couldn't hold all that energy, so what he did was create twelve weapons and infuse them with most of the energy, the leftovers he gave to us but he put it in the mark. The power of the gods was made from positive energy which is something the evil brother never got so when I fought him I used that power to defeat him. I stood no match against him, he was in a league beyond anything anyone had ever seen, but with this power, I beat him and now he is prison. I knew nothing about the mark, it was something that bothered me for most of my life until he told what it was that broke me, because I at that moment I believed that everything I had done wasn't because of choice but because of the mark, And to this day it still bothers me. I wasn't strong enough, and I now question myself about what I am and why I do things, is it me or the mark. And this mark has lead to me losing my parents, siblings, and the girls I dated at the paws of that monster. But what he did to me is why I am afraid I'm won't be strong enough to beat him. I train to become stronger so that I can beat him with my power but will it be enough? I don't know. those are the words I repeat every time I question the choices I made, why I fight, why I do anything, is it me or the mark I don't know and it's frustrating."

Arthur was beginning to tear up, I wasn't what to do, It's not really like I can help him, this something beyond what I know but I had to say something.

"Arthur look at me." He was slowly turning so I placed my paw on his right cheek so I could turn his head to look at me quicker. We stared at each other in the eyes and I could see the pain and confusion in his eyes. He needed someone at this moment so I wrapped my arms around him and brought him in for a hug. " Here's what I think, that mark is just that a mark, it has no control over you, everything you've done in your life is because you made those choices the mark had nothing to do with it. You shouldn't see that mark as some kind of reflection because if you do then all your doing is holding on to a false perception of yourself, you are Hero and you should not be like him, You are Arthur, and I love you." I blushed after hearing what I just said and I'm he was as well, but Arthur just wrapped his arms around me."

Arthur: " Thank you, Thea." Arthur rose up to look at me, blushing we just stared at each other until we started getting closer. Were we about to kiss? Before we could we heard a knock on our window. A security mouse had knocked on my window so I opened the car door to hear what he had to say.

Security Mouse: " excuse me miss, but I am gonna have to ask you and your husband to please leave the beach is closed."

" HUSBAND?! Were not even married!"

security mouse: " Well then, you and your boyfriend are gonna have to leave because the beach is closed."

" Right sorry officer, well leave right now." Closing the door I quickly turned on the car and drove away with Arthur. The drive to my house was filled with awkward silence. Arthur thought the best way to ease the tension was by talking about Ares. He revealed that Ares was one of the generals that fought alongside the evil brother during what he called the brothers war. And Ares with the help of the evil brother was able to draw in all the energy the conflict energy from the great war into a sword he made. Useful intel okay but it does nothing to ease the awkwardness. After making it back home I had Arthur put all the stuff I had him take for the beach I went to my room to take a bath. After I was done I put on my pajamas and left the bathroom, Arthur went in to take a bath, he told me that since he was at full strength he could make new clothes without much trouble at all. feeling a little hungry so I thought the food I would eat would be bread and coffee. I made Arthur some coffee as well and went to the couch in my living room and stare at my painting. Arthur did a good job of fixing the living room, almost as if there wasn't a brawl a here. Arthur emerged from the hallway dressed in a brown T-shirt and black shorts. I told him I made him some coffee with some bread on the side, I invited him to sit next to me. He accepted, once getting what I made for him and he sat next to me.

"Arthur, I may not be the right mouse to help you with what you went through, but you need to know that I am here, so if you ever need a little comfort or just someone to talk to then I'm here for you." Arthur gave a little smile before nodding at me. I moved closer to him and he wrapped his left arm around me and brought me in for a hug. After he let go my curiosity got the better of me I wanted to know how many powers he had so I asked.

"Arthur if I may, can you show me all your powers." Arthur finished his coffee before getting up and started by demonstrating all his powers. I asked how he got so many and he revealed that his powers manifested during a school day in his final year of high school, which led to him Teleporting to his home and copying the powers of all his family members. He also said that he just doesn't copy immediately but he needs to be close to someone and remain close for a few seconds. Arthur has many different powers, some are very similar but have something that makes them different. I want to go to his world and see, I wouldn't have to worry about blending in since there are already anthropomorphic animals there so I don't have to worry. I do have a question, if the animals are anthropomorphic then is everyone a vegetarian or do they still eat meat? Questions I wanted him to answer but It was getting late so I called it in for the night. Arthur took care of the dishes and cups while I went to my room. I laid on my bed, turned off the lights, covered myself in blankets, and tried drifting off to sleep.

Not even five minutes have passed and I began to hear knocking on my window, I got up and went to go check. I opened the curtains to find nothing on the other side of the window. I opened the window and looked around outside but I couldn't see anything. I closed the window and headed back to bed, but I heard the sound of knocking on the window again. I checked again but found nothing, closing the windows I headed back to bed but stopped because I thought about what was happening. I had an idea so I wanted to see if my hunch was correct, I waited until I heard the knocking sound again. I didn't have to wait too long, the knocking happened again and soon as I heard it, I rushed to open the window. As soon as the window flew open I heard a little gasp that confirmed what I had suspected. "Arthur, what are doing?" I said laughing. Arthur reappeared and was flying, good thing no one was around to see him.

Arthur: " Sorry Thea, but I was very nervous."

"About what and why couldn't you just knock on my door?"

Arthur: " Well I knocked on your window because there is something I want to show you." Arthur held out his paw and I way to curious to see what he wanted to show me so I held his paw and he brought me in for a hug but after he did he slowly flew us out of my house.

Arthur: " Hold on." Arthur started to fly and held on for dear life don't know what he wanted to show me but I trusted him to see me through this. After stopping he told me that it's safe to look. I slowly looked up at him, he smiled before telling me to look at the city. I nervously looked at the city and it was beautiful, the city lights, the mountains in the distance, and the sea surrounding the island sparkling under the moonlight. It was getting a bit windy so I felt it brush past my face which made me enjoy the sight even more. Arthur asked if I wanted to hop on his back because he was going to fly around. I agreed and after I got on his back he started flying around. It was a scary start but Arthur assured I wouldn't fall. We flew around Mouse Island, flying above the other cities on the, flying close to the mountains, even going up to pass the clouds. I have flown the metamouse, helicopters, and planes but not once do feel the wind brush past my face, so to experience it was a feeling I will never forget for as long as I live. To remain in the air for as long you wanted was something I wanted but I couldn't because I can't fly but I'm happy to have someone who can help with that. Arthur flew back home after a while and I may be happy to be on the ground again, I still wanted to stay in the air. I was about to wish Arthur good night before he quickly spoke up.

Arthur: " So did you like it?"

" I did, thank you, Arthur."

Arthur: " Look, Thea, I probably shouldn't do this but I still want to treat you something nice, I may not have money but as we flew around I found some spots that I think would be great to take you to so if you would like, would you mind if-"

" I went out with you?" Arthur waited nervously for my response. After everything he showed me , I wanted to see what he would do next.

" I'd love to. Tomorrow at eight?"

Arthur: " Done. Good night Thea."  
" Good night Arthur. Although you should be saying that to me once we your in the house about to go to bed in the guest room."

Arthur: " Oh, right. Sorry I forgot that I actually sleep in the same house as you."

**Meanwhile**

Courtney: " I wonder how romantic that whole thing was."

Thug 1: " Courtney, your orders?"

Courtney: " I think we've been holding on to all those mice for far too long and the boss has been waiting very patiently for the data I promised him, So I say it's high time I deliver on that promise, And for the bosses patience, a bonus, however, if I am going to give him that bonus then I am going to need that special correspondent. And I think I'll squeeze in one more female mice into tomorrow night's event, So I say it's high time we get our paws that special correspondent and that little friend of hers and see what the special correspondent knows. Are the monsters ready for tomorrow?


	5. Chapter 5

**Merry Christmas everybody and have a Happy New Year**

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still applies.  
**

**Chapter 5: Game Night**

**Thea's house**

**Arthur P.O.V**

I was walking out of Thea's room to go to the guest bedroom when she grabbed my arm. **"** What's wrong Thea?**" **I said turning to look at her. She didn't say anything, we just stood there and stared at each other. Perhaps she was nervous about mice coming into her room to abduct her again. I was about to say something when we heard the sound of a car's tires screeching followed by what sounded like a lamppost being knocked down. Thea and I quickly ran to the window to see what was happening. We saw a car zooming past the house and ramming into trash cans and those blue mailboxes. **" **Thea, wait here, I'm gonna go stop that.**" **with how reckless the drivers were I had to move quickly. I created a few clones to keep watch over her, I did have another duplication ability that would work better however it would take a bit longer to make that kind of clone so I had to go with this duplication ability which can make clones instantly. I quickly flew off after the car that was zooming out of our sight.

**Thea: "** Be careful!**" **Thea shouted as I flew away.

" Don't worry, I'll be fine**," **I said back to her. And now the chase was on.

The car swerved left and right. I had to stop it and fast. Whenever I am fighting crime or stopping out of control vehicles there are times where I think about what powers I am going to use to deal with the situation. When I was a hero in training I had to learn how to make split-second decisions because if I hesitate in situations that require me to think fast then it can lead to a very unpleasant outcome. I used my gravity ability to leave the car weightless, as it slowly rose into the air I drained the power from the car with my electric ability. With the car now out of power, it couldn't move anymore and with that, I lowered the car back onto the ground so I can check the drivers and whoever else may be inside. I was shocked to see that inside the car there female mice who were bound gagged and blindfolded. I was confused if the mice inside the car were tied up then how did the car not crash when I was going after it. After freeing the mice inside the car and checking to see if they were alright I asked if they who did this to them. They said they couldn't see who it was, all they know is that as they were heading to a party that was being held by one of their friends when suddenly their car stopped and they were rushed by mice wearing black robes. As this was happening, one of the victims saw one of the mice place something a device underneath the car before she was blindfolded. I asked where this device was placed and she said it was somewhere on the front side of the car. After checking, I quickly found a device underneath the bumper of the car. The device was round-shaped with a blinking blue light. Whoever placed this device was able to control the vehicle, if so they must be close by.

At that moment it hit me. **"** This was a trap!.**" **Around that same moment, I began to get the memories of what my clones saw. My clones were attacked and vanished. From the memories, they were all attacked at once but they couldn't see what attacked them. I had the clones watch over Thea but the cloning ability I used wasn't as effective as the other cloning ability I had, I used this cloning ability because it makes clones instantly and given what was happening, I had to think fast, but now I am being hit with the consequences of that decision. Realizing Thea was in danger I teleported back to her room but I wasn't fast enough because when I appeared in her room she was gone. In my shock, I used my super-speed to run around Thea's house and the area's around her house while also using my Aura ability to find her but I couldn't find anything.

I ran into Thea's room again and decided that I would use my other tracking abilities to find her. I used my echo ability to see what happened. All I saw was my clones being attacked by what spinning blades that came from the ground. When the blades flew from the ground that Thea also fell through. From what it looked like a portal had opened from the ground. If so my echo ability won't be much help in finding her so I had to resort to using my other tracking ability to find her but I needed a picture of her. Fortunately, I was in her room and there were plenty of pictures. I found a picture of her along with Geronimo, Trap, and from what I can guess is the rest of the Stilton family, but I didn't see benjamin in the photo. This photo must have been taken before Benjamin was born. Next to it was a photo but this one only had Thea in it and she was in a graduation uniform from what I believe was college. I grabbed the photo and used my other tracking ability on it. The only thing I saw was darkness, I couldn't see anything but then I felt a massive headache. Something had blocked me but what was it? I had no idea what was going but I knew this had something to do with her captors. This wasn't good.

**The next morning**

**Geronimo's house**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

It was another day, and I wondered what craziness would happen today. When Me, Thea, and our friends agreed to solve this case I never would have thought that things would escalate to this point. I tackled my fair share of criminals but there was one thing the criminals I wrote about in my articles had in common, and that was they were all normal. Sure many of them were the kind that nobody would want to mess with but they were still just regular mice and this what I believed about the mice that have caused New Mouse City all these problems. I was so wrong, the way things have gotten now is more than I could handle. Mice with superpowers, other universes, and groups that now about this stuff and can take full advantage of it. By this point, I don't know if I have ever been more scared, not only for what could to my family but with what could happen to the world if this were to ever get out.

I am now starting to wonder if this group of mice that have troubled New Mouse City, may have ties to some of the cases I reported on years ago. I have to admit this was not my first time reporting on cases that make no sense. Though some of those cases I don't want to remember, I still haven't gotten over some of them, and I worry that if my suspicions of this group are correct then New Mouse City may meet a similar fate. It's not something I want to think about but I can't help it. I remembered what Thea suggested and that is to not look at it as a whole just yet instead look at it as individual pieces, should reduce the stress level. I decided to play a game of chess on my computer at the hardest difficulty. The game was calming and with it I was able to process things a little better.

I was in the kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee when Ben came in. He was alone, he often shows up with Pandora. Ever since what happened with Petunia, Pandora has been living with us for the time being and she has been staying close to Ben so seeing Ben walking into the kitchen by himself was an unusual sight.

" Morning Benjamin.**"**

**Ben: "** Morning Uncle G. Say is Pandora here?**"**

" No, I thought she was with you. Did something happen?**"**

**Ben: "** I can't find her.**"**

" What do you mean can't find her, wasn't she in the room with you?**"**

**Ben: "** She was but after waking up she wasn't there and when I searched for her I couldn't find her so I assumed that she was here.**"**

This wasn't good. I quickly helped Ben and searched the house for her but we had no luck. We were starting to worry scared, Pandora was here I know she was so how did she disappear. I suspected that she may have been mousenapped. If she was then I already had an idea as to who were the culprits. We needed to act fast so I called Thea. When I called it was Arthur who I heard on the other end, not Thea.

" Arthur is that you, where's Thea?**" **I asked confused.

**Arthur: "** Geronimo...we need to talk.**" **Arthur asked. His tone though, he sounded uneasy. I began to worry even more.

" Okay, Arthur...let's talk. Meet come over to my house and we'll talk.**" **I had a bad feeling about this.

As soon as I hung up the phone I heard the doorbell ring. I checked and it was Arthur, was he standing by the door holding Thea's phone waiting for the right moment to walk into my house? I opened the door to ask but I noticed the look on his face. He had a grim look on his snout which made me worry more. He raised his paw to show Thea's phone. I was about to ask about when I heard Trap walking up.

**Trap: "** Hey G, hey Arthur. How are you both doing, Hey Arthur where's Thea?**"**

" I was about to ask that myself.**" **I invited both Arthur and Trap to enter my house so Arthur can explain.

We stood in the living room and Arthur, who was looking guilty was trying to find the right words to say, which was making me start to feel not only scared but I was beginning to feel something I really would rather not feel. It wasn't disappointment exactly but some other emotion that I don't like feeling.

**Arthur: "** Geronimo I am going to just come out and say it. Last night Thea's was abducted and It was by the same mice who tried to take her the first time.**"**

As soon as I heard that the feelings that I have been trying to get a handle over for all this time just blew up and I punched Arthur. He fell onto the floor, Trap immediately ran to grab me and pull me back, and both Benjamin, and Trap were trying to calm me down. Trap sat me down on my couch afterward he went to go help Arthur up. I couldn't take it anymore, I placed covered my eyes and started to tear up.

" I can't take this anymore, so many innocent mice have been taken, among them some of our friends, and now both Pandora and my sister are gone!**" **I couldn't help but raise my voice.

**Benjamin: "** Uncle G, I get that your angry but now we don't have time for letting rage get anyone of us. Pandora and Thea are missing and if we don't work together then we may never see them again.**"**

**Trap: "** Ben's right, there's no time for conflict, the girls are in trouble and we need to save them.**"**

" But what we can we do, for three months we've tried and as the days passed more and more mice were taken off the streets, from their homes and with what Thea learned from Arthur after he fought Ares, these guys are beyond anything we have ever faced and our best chance at finding them is someone who is not even from this universe.**" **Just staying that sounds so odd. Our best chance is someone who isn't even from this cosmos. It's just hard to take in, but their right. Thea, Pandora, and all our friends are in trouble so for them I will get control over my emotions and do my part in bringing them home. I got up from my couch and talked with Arthur.

" Arthur. First off I want to say I apologize for punching you.**"**

**Arthur: "** You don't have to do that, I understand that feeling, and I promise you I will do whatever I can to get Thea back.**"**

**Benjamin: "** You don't have to do it alone, Thea is my aunt, and Pandora is...my friend, and I want to see them again.**" **I noticed Benjamin blush.

" You're right Ben, this is our biggest challenge so we all need to work together.**"**

**Trap: "** That's the spirit, were in this together, although if we ever need to fight we'll leave the fighting to you, Arthur.**"**

**Unknown location**

**Thea's P.O.V**

" Hmmmfph! Hmmmmmfph!**" **I don't know what was happening all I remember was Arthur leaving some clones to watch over me before he went to pursue the car that zoomed right by. Afterward, I fell through the floor and onto a hard surface which felt metallic before I was hit in the head and knocked out. When I came to I was tied to a chair and gagged. I wasn't sure if I was blindfolded because I couldn't feel anything covering my eyes, but everything was dark. I don't know how long I was here for but I hope the others are looking for me. I was a little confused by how long Arthur was taking to find me. He said he had tracking abilities and last night he explained how all his powers work so I wondered what was taking him so long. But then again given how I ended up here I assumed that the ones who brought me here already a way to keep me hidden from Arthur.

As I struggled to break free, I began to hear someone next to me. They sounded like they were waking up but the noises sounded muffled. I couldn't see who it was in all this darkness, then I began to hear other muffled noises. I don't know who else was here but I could hear plenty of other mice and they sounded like they were in the same situation as me. Lights suddenly came on and I was able to see who was with me. Pandora, Creepella, her niece Shivereen, Petunia, diva Parmezanie, Talia Squeaks, Princess Yasmine of Whikskeriastan, I even saw Ben and Pandora's teacher , Sally, her cousin the Shadow but without her mask, and I can't believe it but Suzie was there. I was so happy to see her but I wish I could have seen her again under different circumstances. She looked at me and started to cry but the way she was looking at me, she didn't look happy to see me. Everyone that was here looked like they each endured something that I can't even begin to imagine.

I looked at Pandora and how she got here, I know she was with Ben yesterday and Geronimo didn't mention anything about her going missing when we talked on the phone. Could she have been taken around the same time I was? When Sally looked at me she got angry and started shouting but her words were muffled, but it sounded to me like she was blaming me for what happened. Figures. With the light, I looked around to see if I could find some means of escaping until a group of mice fell from behind us and put knives to throats. Everyone started to panic but then we heard a woman's voice telling them to stop.

**Cortney: "** That's enough boys.**" **Said a voice in the darkness.

I saw a women stepping out of the shadows, it was a mouse whose fur was a violet grey, and her hair was completely violet-colored and it reached down to her ankles, was very well dressed almost like she was going to a very important party, But when Suzie and the others except for Pandora saw her they all panicked. They were all crying at the very sight of this woman. Remembering I heard about how a woman named Courtney was the one calling the shots, I believed this was her, but she looks so normal. Even I was surprised by how Sally reacted to her.

**Cortney"** Morning ladies, as you can see we have two new guests, so introductions are in order. I am Cortney, unfortunately, these ladies came during the final phase of the experiment so they won't be able to experience the fun we usually have together. wouldn't you agree?**"**

All the girls were trying desperately to escape and through the muffled voices tried pleading with her to just let them go. Knowing that Shivereen was there and seeing how she was acting, I quickly turned to Pandora and saw this look of horror in her eyes, she was staring at Petunia. Looking at her Aunt so full of despair was a sight I never wanted her to see. What was Cortney planning to do with was?

**Cortney: "** Thea, and Pandora, those are some lovely names and lucky for me they come along with pretty faces. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.**" **She says as she removed my gag. Being able to speak again I quickly started asking questions.

" What did you do them? Why did you do it? And why did you-**" **Cortney quickly shut me up by threatening to put the gag back on.

**Cortney: "** All will be revealed tonight so be patient.**" **She took a few steps away from me before continuing to speak again.

**Cortney: "** You truly are an interesting one, I have been observing you all this time and while Max may have wanted to do things in a more timely manner, I prefer to wait for the right moment. While I like to stalk, max likes to pounce and get what he wants no matter what method he may have to use, So all of you are extremely lucky that you got me.**" **Cortney began to giggle. She was finding this amusing, and what does she mean that we're lucky.

**Cortney: "** You are free to ask me some questions but remember don't be quick just say them as calmly as you can because I don't want to silence that pretty face.**" **

" Why did you do to them?**" **Cortney laid down on the floor and began talking to me as if she was talking to a therapist.

**Cortney: "** Well you see it all started when I was put in charge. I was pretty happy that I was picked, and given who I was dealing with, I knew the best way to lure him out was to create a situation where he can swoop in and save the day because don't boys like being superheroes. Although in his case he can do what you would read about in the comic books. Anyway back on topic, I tried and tried but I wasn't getting anything, as time went by my friends were getting bored so I decided to use the mice my friends brought in to lighten up the mood.**"**

" What did you do exactly?**"  
Cortney: "** Well I put them through things that I thought were fun but they didn't see it that way but my friends saw it as really fun so as long as they were happy I was happy. And I was more than willing to come up with new games to not let my friends get bored.**"**

" Are all the other mice you captured here as well?**"**

**Courtney: "** No they are somewhere else. The mice that are here are the ones who I felt a close connection with and to my friends they are the more popular ones when it comes to breaking them. I mean don't get me wrong, I like having my fun but I prefer to have my fun with my target.**"** Courtney got up and smiled at me but turned her attention to the mouse who was standing behind Talia.

**Cortney: "** excuse me but can I have two minutes with you please.**" **The mouse walked to where she was, which was at the center of where we all were. We were placed in a circle formation. The mouse was now standing in front of Talia, but the mouse had a look of fear, even though he was wearing a balclava I could see he was afraid.

**Courtney: "** Before we go any further I want to address something real quick. And that is you were a tiny bit late to touch ground when you and the others appeared behind our guests.**"**

**Thug 1: "** I'm sorry boss. It won't happen again I promise.**"**

**Cortney: "** It's not going to because I'm going to make sure of that. Do you have any idea what's at stake tonight? tonight is our last night and you are going to screw me over by not moving at the same pace as your friends. You hurt me when you do that because I am your friend and you're doing this to me.**" **Courtney's smile faded and she was generally even though she showed it in the most composed manner possible. She walked away from him before pulling a weapon out and shooting him. I don't know what weapon she used but when she fired that weapon most of the guy's head was blown off and chunks of his head fell on Talia and was smeared in his blood which had Talia going crazy. She was screaming and crying but the noises were muffled and I could hear the sound of the ropes as Talia tried to desperately break free from her binds. All the other girls were in the same state of shock, Cortney ordered the other mice to clean up the mess before turning her attention to me again.

**Cortney: "** I have a deadline to meet and I want this night to go exactly as I planned it. I must thank you, Thea, because you made this operation more fun than I ever could have thought. Sure some things were completely unexpected but I wouldn't be in this position if I didn't know how to adapt. I think it's time you tell me everything you learned from him. Don't even think about sparing any details, I want to hear everything. But if you think I am not serious then how about I show you.**" **Courtney pulled out another weapon and aimed one at Shivereen and the other at Pandora.

**Cortney: "** If you believe that with-holding the information I want is more important than their lives then let me know and I'll shoot them both, however, if you want time to think about it, I'll give you three seconds but be warned once I reach three I'll have one of my friends flip a coin to decide who dies because surely one of their deaths will help you think faster. So what will it be ms special correspondent?**"**

**Geronimo's house **

**Arthur P.O.V**

**5 minutes after**

If my tracking abilities were not going to work then I need to find some other way to find her and the others. Geronimo I have to say packs quite a punch, I understand the feeling of losing a loved one but in Geronimo's case if all goes well then he'll see her again. The same can be said about Pandora and all the others that were captured. I spent some time running across the city to find any leads on Thea but I got nothing. I was certain that we would find her but the more time that passes the more time our enemies with doing whatever they want to her and Pandora. I returned to the Rodent's Gazette to see how Geronimo and the others were holding up. When I entered Geronimo's office I saw that they were doing alright but just barely.

**Ben: "** Find anything?**"**

" Sorry.**"** I said disappointment.

They were more worried than ever, things don't look promising at the moment. I have to say these guys we are up against are in complete control over us, And from what I learned from Alden, the best way to help any of the mice that were abducted is to standby until their captors make a move. I don't like the idea of having to wait until the bad guys make a move, and arriving in this world the way I did only made things difficult. The mice that were after Terry knew how to adapt to Ares and I appearing in this world. I can only hope that Thea and Pandora can hold on until we find them. Remembering Alden I remembered giving Thea their number and since I have her phone I can just call them again, their number should be on the recent call list. I told the others about Alden and they all agreed that he may provide some leads to Thea and the others. I called the number and lucky for us Alden answered, although he was whispering.

**Alden: "** Apologize's Arthur but I'm afraid I can't talk for long.**"**

" Alden I could use your help, Thea and Pandora have been captured by the ones after Terry.**"**

**Alden: "** I already told the best thing you could do is wait to make a move, I know how much she means to you but if you do anything then you condemn them. I can guess you have already tried finding them right?**"**

" I did but I got nothing.**"**

**Alden: "** I told you don't do anything stupid, you need to wait until they make a move.**"**

" But how long do I have to wait then?**"**

**Alden: "** I don't know but with how much time has passed since they started this operation then I can guess that they may be getting tired of waiting. That's all I can say I'm sorry.**" **Alden hung up leaving me disappointed. I told Geronimo what Alden told me and he wasn't the least bit happy.

**Geronimo: "** If they can't help us then we need to find some other way of finding them.**"**

**Trap: "** Why did he say the best thing to do is to wait?**"**

" From what I can guess this isn't the first time this has happened.**"**

**Geronimo: "** If this isn't the first time then this strengthens a suspicion I had earlier today. And that's the mice who have Thea, Pandora, and the others may have been responsible for the bizarre and tragic phenomenon that happened all those years ago.**" **I was confused by that so I asked Geronimo to elaborate. Geronimo explained that years ago before he was put in charge of the Rodent's Gazette, his grandfather sent him and Thea to certain Areas around the world that had strange and terrifying phenomenon. One of the areas was a small town in Peru, where a Giant hole appeared from the ground. It swallowed the entire town, and with how deep the hole was the entire population was wiped out. Another incident occurred over in China where a small city along with all of its inhabitants was frozen solid. Geronimo stopped talking to try to calm himself down. Reliving those moments in his life did a number on him, But when he mentioned mice being frozen solid it threw me back to that day when I saw all those spirits who warned me that Thea was in danger. Remembering that I realized that the spirits could be the ones to lead us over to where Thea and Pandora are. Although Geronimo's story is very concerning because of the mice that are after Terry, If they had any connection to the incidents Geronimo mentioned then I can only say Terry had something to do with it as well. But unless I can convince this Maria character to let me see Terry I might not get that answer.

Geronimo continued his story and he brought cases that happened in Australia, Tanzania, Paris, and several other locations. He mentioned that there hasn't been an incident like the ones he mentioned for over eight years. With this information, it would be best to talk with Alden about this and see what he knows about it, but not at this moment right now Thea and Pandora were in danger. After remembering about what happened in the spirit world I told Geronimo what I saw in the spirit world, and while he tried to question what I said he ended up going along with what I said, because not sure how someone can be skeptical of the supernatural when they've seen it for themselves. I asked Geronimo to look after my physical body while I talked to the spirits.

I laid down on the floor and separated from my body. Entering the spirit world I already met with countless spirits staring at me. Before I asked for their assistance I asked if they truly were the victims in the incidents Geronimo mentioned. They all nodded at once, after which a few of them began speaking. From how some of them looked like I could tell from which incident they were from, all though as I looked around I could see that there were spirits that looked normal, there were also some that looked like monsters. The spirits that were talking were all speaking in their native languages but the ones that could speak English translated. I wanted to know more about what happened to them before they all passed away because it may confirm what Geronimo suspected. If there was one thing I knew was that this was going to take a bit.

After a while I learned more about the incidents that occurred, unfortunately, it wasn't that much, all I got was that one day everything was normal but then they all died, but for some of the incidents, some strange things occurred before they died. like the case in China, during the night citizens saw what looked like a fight on the top of buildings before seeing what looked like a giant cloud forming above them then I a bright flash and then they woke up in the spirit world. With all this information I was sure I could get somewhere with Alden. After learning everything I promised that I would get to the bottom of this, I then asked if they could help me find Thea and Pandora, but none of them said anything. They explained that some force is preventing them from wanting to help out and that they couldn't say who was responsible for it. I was starting to get a little unnerved by this. The mice who have Thea and Pandora have a way to keep even the spirits silent. Knowing I wasn't going to get any help from the spirits I returned to my physical body and informed Geronimo of what I learned.

**Geronimo: "** With what you just told me, I fear for New Mouse City. If we don't stop these guys then the city may truly experience a similar fate.**"**

**Trap: "** Did the spirits tell you where you can find Thea and Pandora?**"**

" Unfortunately they didn't because some force as they claimed was preventing them from wanting to help.**"**

**Benjamin: "** So the ones who have Thea, Pandora, and our other friends can even get the spirits under their control.**"**

**Geronimo: "** What kind of mice are they?**"**

" I don't know but I'm not given up, I'll walk around town and see what I can pick up.**"**

**Geronimo: "** It would go faster if we go along with you.**"**

**Trap: "** Yeah, like I said we're in this together so let's get to it.**"**

**New Mouse City **

**Arthur P.O.V**

**3 hours later.**

I didn't mind walking around town, it helps me think. I didn't get anything though it was just mice talking about their day. All the while I was just thinking about the mice who had Thea, there were still things we didn't know about them and any potential answer, are with Terry's guardians. Thinking of Terry, what happened to him? Why hasn't he shown up yet? He would have learned about someone that was just like him wandering around the city which would be someone he would want to meet. I could try looking for him, that wasn't a bad idea but if I got close then I would have to deal with the more aggressive one of Terry's guardians and I don't want to be on bad terms with her.

I walked past a coffee shop when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and saw a mouse with a weird creepy grin on his face. **"** Um, can I help you?**"**

**Simon: "** Apologies for interrupting your day. Oh, where are my manners my name is Simon Squealer.**"**

" Simon? From the Daily Rat?**"**

**Simon: "** Yes and I would like to speak with you if you don't mind.**" **I heard about this guy from Thea and Geronimo. If he's anything like I heard then he could be up to something. So I need to be careful.

" May I ask what it's about?**"**

**Simon: "** It's nothing too serious but I would like to have this conversation in a place that's more private if you don't mind.**" **He's up to something that much I can see. I didn't know what he was planning so I played along and agreed to his request.

**The Park**

We were sitting on a bench watching as people walked by. Things may look peaceful at the moment but the situation was anything but that. I had a feeling Simon's reason for bringing me here was anything but pleasant.

**Simon: " **All right, now that we're here, let's talk about how you suddenly appeared in Stilton's house.**" **

" Excuse me?**" **Simon pulled photographs out of his pocket and showed them to me. One of them was a picture of Geronimo's house and the other was a picture of Geronimo's house but with me standing in front of the door. I got careless, I was so worried about Thea and how I was going to break the news to her brother that I stopped worrying about mice seeing me use my powers. What's worse is that I can't deny it because my lie-detecting ability will kick in. Although it wouldn't be too hard to turn the tables on him given what these images imply.

**Simon: "** I also have video footage.**"** That makes it easier.

" So from the first image I get you were taking photos of someone else's house without their knowledge.**"**

**Simon: "** Well...I**"**

" You even said you had footage, which also means you recording someone's house an unknown amount of time. Pardon me but this sure sounds like stalking. And the fact that you showed these photos meant you were gonna try and blackmail me.**"**

**Simon: " **Well I wasn't gonna blackmail you exactly. I'm showing you these because I want to know something.**" **Simon said as he looked away in embarrassment. My lie-detecting ability didn't act up so there was truth in his words.

**Simon: "** I just wanted to know if what I saw was real, because if so then I could use your help.**"** Everything I heard about him wasn't in the most positive of lights but he has my attention so I am going to hear him out.

" Alright Simon, you have my attention. What this about?**"**

**Simon: "** It has to deal with my boss Sally Rassmousen.**"**

**Later**

Simon spent some time explaining his situation about his boss Sally. Not too long ago she disappeared and he tried asking Geronimo for help but they refused because they believed he was lying. But I couldn't detect any deception in what he was saying so with that I agreed to help him. I heard about the lengths he and his boss are willing to go just to steal a scoop or keep the Stiltons from interfering with their plans. In all honesty, I wonder how they avoided prison for all the things they've done to the Stiltons. Knowing what I know about him and his boss I am wondering why I would even bother, however they may be awful but it wouldn't be right to ignore someone who needs help no matter how depraved they may be. Perhaps if I got to know him then I could find some way to help him.

" Simon if you don't mind me asking then why do you work for someone like her?**"**

**Simon: "** It's not due to friendship or anything it's because I care about my job and she signs the paychecks.**"**

" Next question, given what I heard you failed her so many times but yet she keeps you around why is that?**"**

**Simon: "** She gives enough demands to everybody already but I am the only one who can keep up with the demands she gives to mice who work directly with her.**"**

" So she can't fire you because she knows there's nobody else who can keep up?**"**

**Simon: "** Exactly, it's not the healthiest of partnerships but I am passionate about what I do and it pays the bills.**"**

" Even if it means to spin the narrative and put your rivals in situations where they could potentially never be seen again. But hey it's fine as long as it means you can keep paying the bills. Do you not see what it is wrong with that.**" **

**Simon: "** I'll admit while I am not thrilled about some of the things we do to them, All I care about is getting the story but if it means if I have to take certain measures then I'll do it, I may not be a hundred percent on board but I'll do it.**"**

" You have no morals and to be frank, there should be no reason why I should help but what I stand for won't allow me to walk away and as awful as you and your boss are, It wouldn't be right to just ignore her when she's in trouble. So I'll help you but I want you to think about everything you've done and asked yourself if it's really what you want.**" **With that I got and walked away, I am not worried about the photos or video anymore because people are in trouble and I have to do something.

**Von Volts Lab**

I had walked over to Volts lab to check in on something. When I walked in, I saw that he was hard at work with something. **"** Hey, professor.**" **I greeted

**Volt: "** greetings Arthur, how have you been?**"**

" I've been better, how have you been?**"**

**Volt: "** Fine thank you. Anyway, I'm glad you came I want to show your outfit.**"**

" you finished it?**"**

**Volt: " **I did, I worked day and all night and I believe you're going to love your new suit. Even if it is just a prototype to what I'll make for you later.**"**

" Make for me later?**"**

**Volt: "** As I got to work on this suit I started to feel as if maybe you need a new suit because you look like your going to a meeting so I've been thinking that the suit I'll make for later will be more heroic. In the meantime, I want you to wear this, I want to see what adjustments I could make on the final design.**" **The suit Volt made for me looked just like the original. He kept the original near the one he had made and looking at it perhaps maybe he had a point, I have been wearing that suit for years so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. I allowed me to try it and using my super speed the suit was on me quick. It felt like the original but then again it was just a business suit so not much of a difference.

**Volt: "** Your original suit had materials that were a little different from the ones I used but it should still work the same, that's why I want you to wear it so I can see what I can improve.**"**

" I'm sure you did great professor. Anyway, I need to get going I'll let you know how the suit turned though.**"**

**Volt: "** Very well, be sure to come back, I want to know how well it worked.**"**

**The Rodent's Gazette**

**2 hours later**

I had reconvened with Geronimo and the others in his office to discuss what we had found. Nothing from the others, I had a feeling as much.

**Geronimo: "** It's good to see that while we were looking for Thea you had time to get a suit.**"**

" It's not a regular suit though, it's the hero outfit that Professor Volt made for me.**"**

**Benjamin: "** That's your hero outfit, you look like your going to a meeting.**"**

**Trap: "** I would have imagined someone with your kind of powers would have something to wear that was more heroic.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Well as long as it's not too flashy then I'm okay with it.**"**

" It looks great but if I am going to help him make a better one then I am going to work with on that one.**" **

**Geronimo: "** Are you sure that you couldn't find anything?**"**

" Well nothing much but I ran into Simon.**"**

**Benjamin: "** You meet Simon?**"**

**Geronimo: "** I could assume he wanted to lure you into a trap didn't he?**"**

" He did try to blackmail me into helping find Sally.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Why would he try to blackmail you? Unless he saw you using your powers.**"**

" Yup, he was stalking you, recording your house, taking pictures and I just happened to appear in them. We talked and he said that he wanted my help to find Sally.**"**

**Trap: "** You didn't fall for it did you? **"**

" He was telling the truth, and I spoke to him about the things Thea and Geronimo told me, afterward I agreed to help him.**"**

I'll keep going and I promise I will find Thea, Pandora, and all those that were taken.**" **It was then Thea's phone rang. It was in my pocket so I answered the phone. It was Alden, he wasn't whispering this time so I figured he wasn't busy but he did sound worried.**"**

**Alden: "** Arthur, I am calling to tell you that several areas in the city have been quarantined off.**"**

" Quarantined off?**" **I said confused.

**Alden: "** The areas that were quarantined off are the Park, the Amusement park, the Harbor, and the Airport.**"**

" Why are those areas being sealed off?**"**

Alden: **"** I don't know but can guess. A bunch of mice in hazmat suits appeared and were telling everyone to leave because they sealing off the areas but the suddenness of it made is making me suspicious. So I am letting you know. I'll call back once I've got more.**" **He quickly hung up before I could respond.

**Geronimo: "** So who called you?**"** Geronimo asked. I told him and the others about Alden's call which left them confused and worried. We were getting ready to go and investigate the sights ourselves when Thea's phone got a message. Taping the message I was met with an image of Thea bound and gagged and in tears, along with the message telling me that if I ever wanted to see her again then I would go to the warehouse over by the Harbor at 9 pm.I looked at the image and I was getting very angry, the others noticed and asked what was wrong.

**Geronimo: "** Are you okay, what was it?**"**

"A threat.**"**

**Later**

Without a second thought, I rushed out to wait over by the Harbor. I looked at the warehouse and wondered when they were going to bring her in so I could save her. I even looked inside the warehouse from the roof just in case she was there. Other than being completely dark there was nothing inside. I moved away from the warehouse so I could watch it from a distance. So if anything happens then I will be ready.

I waited for hours and when the time finally came I was ready to rush the enemy if they showed up. Nothing for a few minutes but then I saw five hooded figures enter the warehouse and four of them were shoving the fifth one into it. I quickly teleported near the entrance and was ready to surprise them. I rushed the hooded figures and the door quickly shut on me, A light turned on and the hooded figures turned to look at me. The mouse that was being shoved spoke.

**Thug 1: "** Let the test begin.**" **all the hooded mice removed their hooded robes and revealed they were rigged with explosives. The mouse pushed a button on the remote that he had which detonated the explosives. The explosion destroyed the warehouse and I was in it. The explosion blew me into a wall bringing it down. Fortunately, I was at full power so my healing ability restored me to full health within seconds. The suit surprisingly held up but it was still severely burned. I got up but was then meet with drones floating around me, I began to hear a female voice coming from them.

**Courtney: "** Greetings Arthur, I am Courtney.**" **They knew my name, this wasn't good.

**Courtney: "** A little birdie told me everything I needed to know, and I got to say it is a real game-changer. Multiverse, other dimensions, and the mark you and Terry have on your backs. No detail was spared.**"**

" What did you do to her?**"**

**Cortney: " **Nothing too extreme, but that's not the point, the point is I should thank because if you had not fallen from the sky then these past three months would have been wasted. So as my way of saying thank you I am going to release all the mice I abducted which includes your girlfriend but simply giving them to you would be boring so I've decided to liven things up. And thanks to what I know about you, I know exactly how to make it more fun.**"**

" Where is she!?**"**

**Cortney: "** Don't worry about that for now, what you should be worried about all the other mice, and if you don't want anything to this sweet special correspondent then you're going to play. Be sure to follow what I ask you though, nothing serious just some things that will let this be a more memorable night. But even with that it still can't be memorable unless we have an audience.**"**

**Geronimo's House**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

I was with Benjamin and trap trying to figure were Arthur may have gone. All he said was he got a threat and took off so I was at my house to discuss with others about where he could have gone. while me and Ben were trying to figure it out while Trap was watching Tv. Trap suddenly started complaining about the channel changing and him not being able to change it back to what he was watching. His complaining got us to look at the Tv to see what the big fuss was about. It was a bird's eye view of a warehouse in the harbor, I began to wonder what was going when the warehouse exploded. From the explosion, I saw something come out of the blast and hit a wall. Afterward, I started to get phone calls from mice who work for the Rodent's Gazette that were nearby to tell me about the explosion near the Harbor. Realizing that what I was watching wasn't a movie or anything of that sort my mind began to think that this may have something to do with Arthur.

**Harbor **

**Arthur P.O.V**

" The whole city!**"**

**Cortney: "** Indeed, the whole city will watch as being is put through the ring, and by the end of this the families and friends of the mice that have been abducted will either see them come home or see them die. So now that you understand what's at stake, and that we have an audience let me tell you about the little rules I have. No powers that can take you anywhere you want in an instant, no superspeed except when in a fight. I want this to be as fun as I can make it, so as long as you follow those rules then both the brains of your girlfriend and her little friend won't be splattered all over the floor.**" **I didn't detect any deception in her words, so it depends on me whether or not Thea and the others get to go home tonight. Courtney, she's had full control over this whole situation for months and was able to maintain control even when I and Ares showed up, so assuming she is going to stay with Thea throughout this whole thing then this could be my one chance to catch her.

**Cortney: "** So if you would be so kind as to look at the drone to your right you will see your first challenge.**" **Doing as she asked I looked at the drone and it was showing live footage of a bunch of guys at an amusement park. Half of them had their arms tied behind their backs while the others didn't and wearing masks. They were scattered across the Amusement Park and I had a feeling of what she was going to have me do.

**Cortney: "** So you have a few minutes to get from here to there and once you're there you are going to have to move fast if you want to save all the guys we abducted from being beaten to death and among the victims the King of Whiskerastan. So the power I want you to use to get there is the power called a jet, which I believe is a power that allows you to take the air you breathe and blast them from the bottom of your feet, propelling you into the air. You have five minutes to get there and save them, so let the game begin.**" **

**Geronimo's house**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

We saw Arthur take off from where he was standing and was somehow propelling from one spot to another, so this was the power called jet. The power was the least of my worries because if what I heard was correct then the whole city was watching. I am also wondering if the other cities on mouse island were also watching, but what had me more concerned was seeing Thea on and Pandora on the screen, along with other familiar faces I thought I wouldn't see again. The screen then went into a split-screen, with one side showing Arthur and the other showing the guys at the Amusement Park getting beaten up. Seeing my friend who was the king of a nation being assaulted like that, the mice hurting them showed no mercy.

**Benjamin: "** Thea and Pandora, and the others, Geronimo we have to go and help them.**" **Ben said to me sounding very worried.

" I'm sorry Benjamin but that's not a good idea.**"**

**Benjamin: "** What are you talking about?**"**

**Trap:** **"** Yeah this is the perfect chance to go and get them.**"**

" If we go and save them then we'll most likely be killed on the spot. They want Arthur to be the one to save them, which is why they set this whole thing up, And from what Thea told me and from what I am looking at this whole thing was planned from the beginning but since the one, they were looking for was nowhere to be found, they changed it so it would work with Arthur.**" **

**Trap: "** So where does that leave us?**"**

" All we can do now is hope that Arthur can do it.**" **If there was ever a time for Arthur to convince me of his heroism, now is the time.

**Amusement Park**

**Arthur P.O.V**

I had finally made it to the Amusement Park, thank goodness I flew Thea around the island because I was able to get a view of the city and the other cities on the island. Once I made it to my destination I kicked it into high gear and zoomed all around the park looking for all the mice that were being beaten up. Not sure how much time I had left but I assumed that it wasn't that much left, in a situation like this I can't make any mistakes. It wasn't hard to find some of the guys that were being beaten because some of the assaults were in plain sight, so rushing in to save them wasn't that hard. The mice assaulting the victims were easy to take down but I didn't have time to stay and heal the injured I had to save the other's being assaulted. The last group of mice I saved was near the roller coaster. With all the mice holding them captive defeated I quickly healed all the victims. Given how injured they were all I had to accelerate the healing, it consumes a bit more energy but I was able to heal all of the male mice that were abducted albeit one at a time. All of the mice I saved began expressing their gratitude and amazement of what I could do, I remember hearing that some of Geronimo's and Thea's friends were abducted so I hope that those same among the ones I saved. I looked at the drones that were flying above us and the thought that after this night everyone will know about me and since this is Terry's world, I'm thinking that I just made things difficult for him which isn't good.

**Cortney: "** Bravo, I am impressed, but the games not over yet, so it's yet time for breaks. Now head over to the park because that is where I placed most of the lovely ladies I took from the streets.**"**

" So I take it those you mice ready to attack them when you start the timer.**"**

**Cortney: "** It's a surprise, now get going it's rude to keep ladies waiting.**"** Using my jet ability I quickly made my way to the park. On my way, their Cortney proceeded to taunt me

**Cortney: "** She's quite a catch, both of you are on the same are the same boat since you both had to go through a few other people before finding each other, although in your case Arthur, pray she doesn't end up like the others.**" **Her taunt threw off my concentration and I failed to stick the landing, I hit my face on the concrete floor.

**Cortney: "** Did I hit a nerve? You know they say third time's the charm, but I guess in your world fourth times the charm.**" **I can't let what she's saying bother me, there are people in trouble so I can't let myself be bothered by the past. I quickly got up and continued on my way to the park.

After making it to the park I saw all the women that were abducted tied to light posts and trees scattered across the park. I even saw some tied to benches, around three women were tied to each of the things I mentioned. How did Courtney even this many mice? I didn't have time to think about it. When I rushed to enter the first group from the pole all of the captives all of the women started to scream at me, but since they were all gagged it was just muffled noises coming from all over the park. The ground began to shake and out came a giant centipede appeared. It appeared to be several stories tall. And it's appearance was shining under the moonlight, was its body made from some metal, guess I was gonna find out.

**Cortney: "** You have a few minutes to kill it before I order it to eat all the ladies in the park and as for an extra for you I would advise you to turn around.**"** Turning around and I saw a massive earthworm from the Harbor, it was several times the size of the centipede, massive and it was shining from a distance.

**Cortney: "** That monster is in reserve so the deal is if you can beat this centipede within the time limit I'll let you fight that earthworm out by the sea, but if you fail then I'll have that monster destroy the city. You'll have more time to overcome this challenge but that's all I can do for you, so without further ado let the next match begin.**" **At the sound of a siren, the centipede went on the move, crawling around the paths of the park incredibly fast, the ladies tied up were yelling at the tops of their lungs but their screams were shut out by the noises the centipede was making.

**Cortney: "** You can as many powers as you want to beat this challenge so please make this fun.**"**

I had to overcome this challenge fast so I flew up into the air to observe the centipede for any potential weak spots. The centipede rushed me and jumped, it made it high enough in the air to try and eat me so I was brought down to the ground and I tried to keep its mouth open. I used this chance to burn it from the inside. The centipede tossed me from its mouth after I started to burn it. The centipede buried itself underground and I blasted fire in the hole it made but I don't think it did anything. Itried looking for it but it appeared behind me and I reacted by punching it, which produced a clanking noise. Its whole body was indeed made of metal. I quickly teleported behind it and the centipede quickly turned to face me. I noticed when it did I saw pieces of its body become exposed, it quickly charged at me so I teleported from one spot of the park to another, I did it to observe its weak spots. When it charges or turns, parts of its body become exposed. Knowing what to do I created clones to serve as a distraction, it worked, so with the centipede moving to attack my clones, I used that opportunity to attack its weak spots by striking them with bolts of lighting. The bolts stopped the centipede in its tracks. I was about to deliver the final blow when the light of the moon was blocked by a giant bird. It flew towards me and I saw it shoot something at me, I dodged and what shot at me was a feather but it was very sharp and metallic, and the edges of it were in flames. A giant metal firebird was what attacked me. The bird landed on top of the building, the situation became worse when a shadow of something else blocked the moon's light, what I saw was a giant mantis-like creature flying towards me and landing on the ground next to the building where the bird was.

**Cortney: "** I knew it wouldn't take that long for you to figure out how to take down the centipede so here's another surprise, it has friends. Can you beat all three within the time limit and save those poor damsels in distress or will those monsters be the last thing they and I will be the last thing your girlfriend sees?**" **

I don't know how much time I had but I needed to kick it into high gear for this. These three monsters, where did they come from, and how does Cortney have control over them, let alone even getting her paws on such creatures? There was no time for thatbecause Bird and Mantis charged at me, the centipede was still alive, but it was using this time to recover I had to finish off but with these other two monsters joining in the fight I had to find out how to beat them before time runs out. The others must have weak spots that become exposed when they move, I just need to have them chase me so I can see where those spots are. Since they both can fly I figured that would be the best way to do it without having them chase me around the city. There was the centipede monster though I couldn't leave it be so I struck its weak spots with lightning the mantis extended it's claw and protected the centipede. It then extended the other claw and used both to attack me from where I was. It swept the streets clean of any cars that were parked their and I flew to get away from its reach.

**Cortney: "** Like that attack, I call it twin machete.**"** Cortney said laughing.

Probably should have seen that coming, I mean it isn't odd to name your attacks. But I didn't have time to focus on her naming her attacks, I had to get both those monsters to chase me. Using my lighting ability I was able to get the Mantis fly up in the air, as for the bird When it saw me zooming up into the air along with the mantis it gave chase as well, but when it spreads its wings to fly, parts of its wings and other parts of its body became engulfed in green-yellow like flame before it took flight. With the distance I was from the mantis I was able to see how far it was able to spread its claws, which wasn't very far, the length it extended it to when it attacked me was its limit. But the bird compensated for that by launching dozens of its feathers towards me like missiles. Not only were they sharp but they were engulfed in flames so not only would I be stabbed but burned as well. The spots where the flames where were its weak spots but the bird must develop a countermeasure to protect its weak spots. As for the mantis, flying around it I noticed that the area on its body where it settles its wings must have been a weak spot, as well as certain parts of legs.

Knowing where to strike I quickly made my move, first I needed a distraction, so using my power to control the weather I covered us in clouds so they wouldn't be able to see me. Using my Aura ability I found their exact locations and began to strike at the mantises weak spots. The Mantis after striking it weak spots multiple times couldn't and handle anymore and began to fall from the sky. It would do a lot of destruction if I didn't stop it but good thing I had something that would work. Using my warp gate ability I created a portal big enough for it to fall through, when it fell into the portal, it came out of another one which was at the ocean. While I was waiting near the Harbor, I took the time to learn the coordinates of the place I was in and the coordinates of other places, that's how this power works, as long as I have the coordinates I create a portal anywhere. As I can see it was very beneficial because now I can deal with these with a monster without having to worry about causing major damage when they crash.

All that's left now is to deal with the bird and centipede. The bird emerges from the cloud and resumed its attack. Using my water ability I targeted its back since I figured it would not be able to attack me from behind. After putting out the flames the weak spots were now vulnerable to attack. The bird became more aggressive when I put outs it flames so I needed to be careful. I had an idea which was to douse the bird completely in water so I used me whether manipulation ability to make it rain, Once it was dosed in water I landed on it's back and struck it full of electricity. All of the exposed spots wear it at once and with the weak spots soaked in water I did more damage to it. The bird began to fall from the sky and like with the Mantis I sent it to the ocean where it cannot do any harm. With both the monsters down it all that was left was the Centipede. I quickly flew towards it, the centipede As I got near I saw that the centipede was still laying on the ground so I got ready to finish it, however before I could it buried itself into the ground. Landing on the ground I tried to force it to come out but it quickly emerged and charged at me, it tried to kill me with its pincers, but I stopped them. Holding the pincers which kept the centipede in place I used the chance to stomp on the ground and a sharp concrete pillar shot up from the ground and pierced through a weak spot finishing the monster.

I had to dispose of the body so I used my warp gate to dispose of it. With the monsters Cortney congratulated me.

**Cortney: "** I am impressed, but don't think that it's over yet, you only have a minute to finish off the giant Earthworm, So would be quick about it if I were you.**" **Only a minute left! This is bad if I want to defeat the monster on time then I have something that would work but it's dangerous, especially with how close it is to the city.

Using my super speed, I ran toward the giant monster and using my super strength I punched it as hard as I could, but its metal body protected it but it the spot where I punched cracked open revealing a weak spot. I created a barrier, around the monster leaving only the top exposed and the weak spot exposed. Ready to carry along with my plan I brought down a lightning storm which struck the monster and as the monster got ready to dig underground I used another power of mine to strike its weak spot. When it did I covered the weak spot and the two power mix and created a powerful explosion that I tried to contain in the barrier, I used a power enhancement ability strengthened the barrier, which worked. The explosion was contained within the barrier the monster was still there but the explosion finished it. When I removed the barrier the monster's body began to fall, I used my Air ability to push it back and it fell into the sea. Although it was only the upper half, the lower half was still underground.

I had won the fight but it wasn't over yet, I still had to untie all the girls that were in the park. I quickly went back and untied them all and checked to see if they were alright. I couldn't see Thea or Pandora amongst them, where was she keeping them. I walked out of the park and began to feel a pain in my chest. Guess I used more energy than I thought, I wouldn't worry about that now I had to wait for Cortney to announce where I needed to go next.

**Geronimo's House: **

**Geronimo P.O.V**

" I can't believe what I am seeing, not only was Arthur saving all the captured mice but he was able to minimize the amount of destruction**,"** I said in awe. Arthur had been a hero, I don't know for how long but the way he used his powers, it showed that he was very experienced with all the powers he had. I don't know how many he had but he sure did have plenty of them.

**Benjamin: "** That was awesome, but that last part sure was close.**"**

**Trap: "** You can say that again, good thing he was able to contain. Although if there's something that should be worrying us is how those mice who have Thea, and Pandora, were able to get all those monsters.**"**

" You're right, it is very troubling but for now let's hope Arthur can get Thea and the others back.**"**

**Simons house**

**Simon P.O.V**

Looking at what I just saw at the T.v, I saw several mice who worked for the Daily Rat being saved but Sally wasn't one of them. To think he would be willing to face giant monsters just to save all those women and move that fast to save all those guys and even take the time to heal them. It made me wonder why he did it, he didn't know any of them but yet he saved them. I also thought about all the mice Sally sent to investigate the mice who captured Sally and all of our other colleagues. These were the kinds of mice who she wanted to investigate? She even sent me to do it, if I had known those mice would have monsters on their side I think I would have Sally go and do it herself instead of sending other mice to do it. I wasn't even sure how to even begin processing what I was looking at.

**The Park**

**Arthur P.O.V**

**Cortney: "** You've put on quite the performance but the shows not over yet. You still have one more challenge left. Head to the Airport. But use your jet ability to get there.**"** She said to me sounding very menacing. Only one more challenge, time to put an end to this.

**Airport**

**Later**

I made it to the airport and over by the runway, I saw what looked like a gallows like structure with mice standing on it. I knew I wasn't going to like this so I ran to where the gallows were. When I made it I saw mice dressed in robes and while others were covered in blankets. I saw ropes leading straight to the ones covered in blankets. Two of the blankets were covering mice that were smaller than the others, I already knew what was underneath those blankets.

**Cortney: "** Welcome to the final boss level, You did incredible getting this far.**"** Cortney said while applauding.

**Cortney: "** You truly have made this a memorable night not only for me but everyone in this city, this is something that they'll talk about for generations. Now enough with the praise now it's time to put an end to this, so in case you've forgotten let me remind you what your fighting for.**"** Cortney said acting like a game show host.

With a snap of her fingers, the mice standing to her sides removed the blankets revealing what I had already known, but it didn't make it any less hard to look at. I saw Thea, Pandora, and a few other mice with them, all with nooses tied around their necks. All of them were in tears, all of them afraid of this night being their last.

**Cortney: "** The mice who you see are ready for execution, but whether or not we go through it depends if you can pass this final challenge. Another thing about these mice is that these mice were personally selected by me to be the prizes for tonight's last challenge.**"** She saw this as nothing more than something she can get a chuckle out of. I've faced villains like this before but regardless of that, these types of villains are one of the most unnerving villains I face.

**Cortney: "** I am truly grateful for all you've done. Months of waiting were almost wasted but then you showed up, and I was quick to take full advantage of it. I knew you weren't going to say anything to me if I asked you which is why I waited and watched to see how you and that special correspondent would get along And it turned out even better than I hoped.**"** Cortney said to me smiling gleefully

**Cortney: " **So let's get this over with, here's your final challenge.**"** Corney snapped her fingers and one of the mice removed his robe to reveal a shirtless mouse, it didn't look tough or anything it looked like a regular grey-furred mouse. It walked down the gallows and approached me, its eyes were staring at me, I didn't know what I was in for so I couldn't underestimate him.

**Cortney: "** Now...FIGHT!**"** Cortney shouted.

The mouse didn't waste any time, it charged at me and started attacking. I dodged it attacks and tried to gain some distance away from it but when I tried the mouse became more aggressive in its attacks. I didn't know what Cortney was trying to pull, but if beating this guy was all it would save the girls then so be it. Using my super-strength I punched it but it was here where I realized my mistake. The mouse despite being hit a strong punch didn't flinch, Instead, it continued to stare at me and it punched me. The punch from it sent me flying into one of the plane hangers completely bringing down the hanger doors.

" What the!?**" **I said in confusion.

The mouse charged again at me but this time it was faster, reaching me within seconds and punching me but I teleported behind it and punched again only to not have it do anything. The mouse quickly turned to me so it can punch me and its punch was not only faster but it was even stronger. I was sent flying to the air traffic control tower but I stopped before I crashed into it. The power of this guy was shock absorption, absorbing my attacks and sending them right back at me. With how strong it became I don't think that I would be able to hold it down with some of my other powers so the idea had to beat him was to make him reach his limit. So I charged at him and he charged at me, and we started punching each other. The more I hit him the faster and stronger and bigger he was getting, I kept putting more energy into my attacks so that I could defeat him quicker but before I could see if it was working I was engulfed in flames. Something had it me from behind which distracted me and made the now big and strong mouse take advantage of it. The punch from it launched me into another hanger and crashing into the plane stored in there. The impact was enough to rattle the entire hangar collapse. What I noticed was that the plane I crashed into didn't look like a plane at all, what was it?

**Geronimo's house  
**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

" NOOO! That is where we kept the Metamouse!**"**

**Airport**

**Arthur P.O.V**

I got out of the rubble and was covered in dust, I was also covered in bruises which were healing but not as fast as they used to. I looked to find what hit me from behind and I heard the sound of someone screeching from behind me. I turned to see something flying on a ball of flames zoom right past me. The heat from how close the fire was burned me, whatever was on the ball of fire turned to fly towards me at a faster speed before jumping off and letting the ball of fire hit me. I teleported out of the rubble at the last second avoiding the attack but what I saw when I got away was another mouse but it was completely engulfed in flames. Before I could move I was hit by something that kept me from moving. It was a gooey green liquid that kept my feet stuck on the ground. I heard the sound of wings from above and when I looked at the thing above me was another mouse and this mouse were completely green except for its tail that was black and it had a bug like wings, and its eyes completely red. Then I was punched by something knocking into the ground, I burned the sticky goo off and got up only to then be knocked down again, Looking around I saw a blurred head to me before punching me. The blur stopped next to the other monsters and just like with the others it was a mouse but was wearing a suit. The suit was black with blue lines, the purpose of the suit was to protect it from how fast it was able to run. I thought I only had to face one opponent not four.

**Cortney: "** Surprised aren't you this the final surprise so have fun.**"**

The four mice gave off frightening screeches and they all attacked together. I tried fighting back as best I could but no matter what I did the monsters had a way to counter my attack. The most difficult one of the four was the mouse with shock absorption, whenever I was about to attack one of the others he would always block the attack, and whenever I tried to deal with him first the others came to help him. The coordination was able to get the best of me and what's more troubling is how well they work without saying a word to each other except screech when they went up to attack me. These four proved to be difficult and I was hitting my limit so my healing was getting slower and slower I had to do something to beat them. What was worse was that our fight was tearing apart the airport, the terminal, the control tower, it was becoming a mess. Not only that but I wasn't sure how much longer I can keep this up, but I had to save the girls no matter what. I tried other ideas but not one of them worked since the shock-absorbing mouse could bulldoze right through what tried which only made it stronger, This mouses limit, was I even getting close? That mouse then dashed in front of and punched me so hard that when I was launched to the terminal it brought the area of the terminal I crashed in collapse and I was stuck underneath the pile of rubble.

**Cortney P.O.V**

" Oh dear it seems he's reached his limit, well just in case I have the drones who I made to be in charge of the sound increase the volume so that hopefully he can hear their screams as their lives are choked right out of them, Opening the trap door would make it quick, and I don't want that. No instead I want him to hear them as they slowly die. So I want you guys to grab the ropes and tug on them as hard as you can and hold them in the air until they stop moving okay.**"**

As my men walked behind the girls and started to untie the ropes that were tied the piece of wood which is used to prepare the nooses so they can make this execution as go slowly, the ladies were trying to break from their bonds, and through muffled screams, they begged for their lives but I found it unfortunate that this is how it ends. A pity. As I stared at the ladies were being slowly hung, the ropes tightened around their necks and slowly lifted them, they struggled but of course, they would I wouldn't expect them to just accept it as futile as it is but futile resistance is truly a favorite sight for me, I wondered how Max would have done it. I was watching the life slowly leave their eyes when the ground shook and a beam of purple light burst from the rubble and Arthur flew out. He was covered in a purple aura and parts of bodies had looked different, the energy his aura was made from made his feet and paws look like they had razor-sharp claws and his tail had gotten longer while he had what looked like dragon wings, and dragon horns on his forehead. His face was one of pure rage, this had confirmed it.

Arthur zoomed past me when I turned the ladies were gone and my men were on the ground. Arthur was on the other side of the runway with all the mouslets who were now free from their bonds. The four pets rushed Arthur but Arthur quickly attacked them, the shock-absorbing pet was ready to take the attack but when Arthur hit him the attack was so strong that my pet hit his limit. He flew into the control tower and all the energy he absorbed burst out bringing the tower collapsing to the ground. Arthur had a shocked expression, maybe he didn't mean for that to happen but so when he attacked the others, he quickly defeated them. With them defeated them down I had nothing so when Arthur approached me I surrendered. As I knelt I heard the sound of police sirens, Guess they were waiting for the right moment to go charge in although I doubted they would let Arthur getaway. It seemed Arthur knew this as well because he turned to look at Thea before flying away.

**Later**

The citizens of New Mouse City were going to have a field day with this incident if this was a hard one to swallow then hooo boy. The drones that broadcasted flew away now that their job was done. As for me I delivered on my promise, I had not only provided the data I promised but I had gotten all kinds of information in regards to Arthur. So this test was a success.

"There you go master, everything that was promised to you.**"**

**?: "** Well done, your efforts paid off, and your acting skills are truly something, I at one point mistook you for the real Cortney. A shame though you agreed to this, aw well I'll make sure your loss is mourned.**"**

" Anything for you master.**"**

**Unknown location**

**?: " **Why did you pick her to be your double, she would have been a good choice for future operations.**"**

**Cortney: "** Cassie was a good choice because of how well she was able to copy my behavior, there was no other who could have done the job.**"**

**Max: "** This data she provided us will greatly help us.**"**

**?: "** Indeed but the tests are not over. Max, I will you in charge of the data, while you Cortney I shall accompany you to help prepare for the next test.**"**

**Cortney: "** Oh goody, and with the healing pod ready to go, Ares shall be good as new in no time.**"**

**Later**

**Ares: "** What do you want?**"**

**?: " **We have a proposal?**"**

**Ares: "** When I get out of hearing your dead.**"**

**?: "** Enough of your childish behavior, The punishment Cortney inflicted on you was well deserved but I am a reasonable mouse and I believe you'll think so after you hear what I have to say.**"**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still apply **

**Warning: There are scenes of torture**

**Chapter 6: Aftermath part 1**

**Unknown location**

**Courtney**** P.O.V**

That was quite a show he put on for us. Gotta say I hope to see another show like that soon, and it seems I might get that chance. Now that we have all this data from the test, it will surely be of use to us. I was busy looking over some stuff when Max came into the room, wonder why he was here, shouldn't he be looking over the data?

**Max: "** Courtney.**"**

" Yes, Maxie.**"**

**Max: "** First of all, excellent work, even if it took longer than expected, you managed to get the job done.**"**

" Why thank you, Maxie. But why don't you get to the point, I am preparing for the next test.**"**

**Max: "** You made a bold move in broadcasting that event across the city. I do hope you know what you are doing.**"**

" Oh relax, it's fine, besides the public would've known about it sooner or later. Especially with what's coming. Even though those two falling from the sky may have opened up new opportunities for us, it did bring its fair share of problems.**"**

**Max: "** I am confident that those issues won't be bothering us, after all, if the boss isn't worried then why should we?**"**

" This conversation is dragging on a bit why don't you tell me what your here for, it's rude to keep a lady waiting.**"**

**Max: "** Apologies. Until the next test is ready, I would like you to do something for me, since it could be useful to use later.**"**

" Which is what?**"**

**Max: "** It has to deal with Arthur and that special correspondent.**"**

**" **What about them?**"**

**Max: "** I believe they present a unique opportunity for us and I believe we should act on it now while we have the chance.**"**

**New Mouse City hospital**

**Thea P.O.V**

These past few days have been crazy, to say the least. The city was in a panic after what happened that night. No-one could heads or tails of what they saw, and they were trying to find answers. The mice responsible for holding me and several others captive were all arrested, which included Courtney. After they were arrested they kept quiet throughout their interrogations. The Interrogations that actually would happen since everyone was afraid of them, especially Courtney. In the cells where they were locked up, they wouldn't move or speak, they just sat and remained stayed that way. As for me and the other captives we spent our time in the hospital. There were no injuries on everyone else except for me and the few others who almost died as we did have to get treated for the marks on our necks. And from the rope burns, we got from our attempt to free ourselves from our binds. Geronimo had been keeping me up to date with what was going on outside and seeing the fears he had come to light was stressing him out. During our time in the hospital, learned that all the male victims being checked, afterwards they were released from the hospital since they didn't have any injuries thanks to Arthur. Geronimo also informed me of the Giant worm monster that was near the city. Nobody was allowed near the thing, Authorities were going to examine its body but they couldn't as all that was left of the monster was its armor. Apparently, during the night As authorities were clearing the area smoke started coming from the monster, it lasted till the next morning, by that point, the monster except for its armor was gone. In the days that followed, they tried to retrieve the other monsters that were in the sea but all that was left of them were pieces of their armor. Geronimo wanted to know what they planned on doing with the armor but no-one was allowed near the site.

Speaking of Arthur I wondered where he went. The last I saw him was back in that night after he had won. The police were coming and Arthur turned to look at me, his expression was that of guilt before flying away. Thinking about how he looked at me I made me feel guilty as well, He trusted me enough to tell about his personal life and now everything he told me, his enemies now know, and during the events of that night I saw I how Courtney taunted Arthur by bringing up his past. They had no problem hurting him mentally or emotionally and I doubt that was the last time they would do something like that. This was information that was given to them by me, Arthur had said he tried avoiding getting too close with anyone but he made me an exception and now before he left I believe he looked at me to see the consequences of that action. Not only was the information he had now in the paws of his enemies, but the mouse he trusted with the information, who is also the same mouse he grew to love almost lost her life and that may have been a site must not have been able to bear. But I didn't know what to do, I couldn't let anything happen to those mouselings, but in trying to save them, I gave them the ammunition they needed to hurt the mouse I grew to love. And now I wasn't sure what to do anymore.

Geronimo and the others came to visit me and Pandora. Geronimo after checking in on us would go and check on the other girls who almost died from being hanged, which included Sally. Although his visits with Sally weren't bad, they weren't good either as Sally was a bit hostile towards him. Things became a bit more surprising when Simon showed up holding a bouquet, and not taking any jabs at Geronimo. During our stay, we also received treatment to help us deal with the memories of that night. But the treatment made me worry about Pandora and Shivereen. They were only kids and while one was held captive for longer which meant she had to endure more than the other did, both of them almost lost their lives, and what was worse was that they almost lost their lives for someone else's entertainment. I was worried about them and wondered how this would impact them going forward but after watching Benjamin spend time with them and even getting them to smile at one point, it made me think that with him looking after them, they may be able to overcome the memories what happened.

On the fourth day at the hospital doctors told me that it would be okay for me and the others to go home but to get to keep in contact with the therapists every now and then. After getting out of the hospital with Pandora, we saw Geronimo and the others getting out of a car holding flowers.

**Geronimo: " **They let you out already, what about the other girls?**"**

" It won't be long before they get released to their just doing a final check just to be sure it's okay.**"**

**Benjamin: "** with all of the guys not having any injuries, they weren't able to stay in hospital for as long as you did, and the same went for most of the other girls who mousenapped.**"**

**Trap: " **And with the both of you and several others getting those rope burns, they had to let you go a little later than the rest.**"**

" Doctors gave us things that will help us if the burns start acting up again, so, for now, its safe enough to let us go home. But we have to take it easy.**" **

As soon as Pandora saw Ben, she ran up to him and hugged him, making both of them blush. It was hard not to see them as a cute couple in the future, although looking at them I was reminded of Arthur and me. We were getting close but now I think that any chance of us getting closer was thrown out. Arthur was probably guilt-ridden to even try to speak to me. But I wanted to see him again so we can take things over but finding him would be near impossible. The best thing I could do was wait until he showed up again.

**Geronimo's house**

**Later**

Geronimo had taken us over to his place to relax, but I was curious about something, so I asked him while he handed me a cup of iced coffee,

" what happened to the monster's?**" **Geronimo's ears perked up at the question.

**Geronimo: "** Oh, why do you ask.**" **Geronimo said looking nervous.**"**

" I want to know what happened, you never said anything about them in the hospital you only told me about how the people were reacting.**" **Geronimo's ears flopped down in disappointment.

**Geronimo: "** Well I wish I had more to tell you, but the monster's are gone.**"**

" Wait to do mean gone?**"**

**Geronimo: "** The monster's in the airport disappeared the following day after their fight. According to the police they got up and left. As for the giant monsters, we'll there's nothing left of them now. Before authorities can figure out they were going to do with the giant earthworm they reported that the body started to evaporate leaving only the metal armored flesh that covered its real body. Afterward, all the authorities had to leave the matter of the monsters to another group which they weren't at liberty to talk about when I questioned the chief about it. And just this morning the armored flesh was completely gone, and all that was left was a giant hole in the ground.**"**

**Trap: "** It got us thinking about what the same happened to those other metal monsters?**"**

**Benjamin: "** Yes although we can't know for sure and with the Metamouse destroyed we can't go and see.**" **

**Geronimo: "** We also checked on Volt, since we learned that the suit Arthur was wearing was made by him. He was upset because Arthur never came back, but also from the fact that he wouldn't be able to study the monsters. But he did ask us to tell you that he hopes you and Pandora get better.**" **Sweet of him, but now I was more worried. If the monsters Arthur fought in the airport were on the loose then that means serious trouble for the people of mouse island. Where was Arthur? We needed his help if we were going to find those monsters and stop them from hurting anyone.

I was startled by the phone in Geronimo's living room ringing. Geronimo told me to calm down as it was only the phone but told me that he would get me a new later today. When Geronimo answered the call he was surprised that the chief of police called him.

**Geronimo: "** Oh, Thea it's the chief of police.**"**

" The chief of police, Why is he calling?**"** I may not have been able to hear what the chief was talking about but the look on Geronimo's face gave me a bad feeling.

**New Mouse City Police Station**

**Later**

Geronimo refused to say anything about what the chief said until I went to the police station with him. Why. the chief wanted to see both of us I wouldn't until I saw him. Geronimo had left Trap in charge of watching over the mouselings until we got back. The drive to the police station was long and quiet, I asked Geronimo to tell me what was going on and through a worried voice, Geronimo revealed why the chief had called him.

**Geronimo: "** I was informed by the chief that Courtney and all of her associates had committed suicide.**" **

" What?!**" **I said unsure if I heard that right.

**Geronimo: "** They were all found dead earlier today, they all had guards watching over them and they said that Courtney and her associates dropped dead without any warning.**"**

" How could they all die like that without warning, could they have been watched over**"**

**Geronimo: "** The chief wouldn't say anymore but asked that the two of us come over so he may speak with us.**" **I didn't know why the chief wanted to speak with us and finding out started to worry me.

After we entered the police station we started to make our way to the chief's office. The whole police station had been scrambling with the recent deaths of their detainees. We first had to stop at the receptionist's desk before we can go to his office.

**Female Receptionist: " **Welcome's stiltons, the chief is ready for your arrival, I'll let him know you're on the way.**" **Along the to the chief's office way we saw Hercule and Kornelius walking down the hallway. The stopped to greet us.

**Hercule: "** Hi Thea, it's so good to see you up and about again.**"**

**Kornelius: "** Yeah, it's good to see you out of the hospital, although I'm sorry that the justice we planned to bring you and the other victims won't come anytime soon. Those darn cowards.**" **Kornelius said tightening his fists. Both him and Hercule were victims of Courtney and a part of me wanted to know what she did to them but I felt like it would have been better to wait.

**Hercule: "** Guess we'll never know their real motives, but aside from that, if you ever need anyone to talk to Thea then I'm here for you. I mean we're here for you, both me and Kornelius.**" **Hercule said turning away in embarrassment.

**Kornelius: "** Speaking of which, Thea there is something I would like to ask you.**"**

" What is it?**"**

**Kornelius: "** How do you know that mouse with those powers?**" **His question took me by surprise.

**Hercule: "** Oh yeah, during that night, that Courtney lady spoke to that mouse that saved us and mentioned how you revealed all his secrets to her.**"**

**Kornelius: "** And we're wondering what that's all about, I know you and brother go on all manner of adventure, but I find it difficult to believe that you kept someone like that a secret from us.**"**

**Hercule: "** But I do have to have to say even though we know nothing about him, I just want to say that I am glad you had a friend like that because without him I wasn't sure if we would ever escape the clutches of that evil lady.**" **

**Kornelius: "** Regardless of that, someone like him possesses many uncertainties that we cannot ignore, so you will be seeing us again but for now the chief is waiting.**" **They both walked away from us and continued down the hallway. The seriousness of his voice unnerved me, which made me clutch the jacket I was wearing in discomfort. Geronimo noticed this and started to get angry.

**Geronimo: "** I don't like what that was all about, but I have a feeling as to why the chief called us in.**" **Geronimo approached me and hugged me to reassure me that he was here for me. I smiled at him to let him know I appreciated him acting like the big brother trying to comfort his little sister. Geronimo smiled back and we both went into the chief's office.

Going into the office we saw the chief sitting in his chair with a serious expression on his face. A mouse with a grey mustache and grey fur, with a desk plate that had the name Damon Sosha.

**Damon: "** Greetings you two, I am glad you can make it. Please have a seat.**" **We sat on the chairs as he asked us to. Before the chief began speaking the bad feeling I began to feel worse and I tried to make myself comfortable. My discomfort was something the chief picked up on.

**Damon: " **Are you feeling alright ms. Stilton, I understand that I called you and your brother here so suddenly but it was very important to speak with the both of you.**"**

" So why did you call us here?**" **I said still trying to comfort myself.

**Damon: "** I am certain your brother has informed you on what happened to that mouse and her associates.**"**

" Yes, I was told that.**" **

**Damon: "** And with their passing, any hope of figuring anything out went with them, however, that may not be entirely true.**"** I started to shake from what he was getting at and Geronimo looked and me and started getting uneasy.

**Geronimo: " **If you don't mind me interrupting but may I ask where you're going with this?**"**

**Damon: "** The events of that night changed everything, so it won't be long before everyone around the world knows about what happened. So far it's only the citizens of this city but the other cities on the island are learning about what happened and soon it won't be long before the rest of the world knows. So what I'm getting at is that even though I'm not sure what to believe in anymore, just like with so many others, I want to at least have some kind of grip on the situation and I believe your sister may help with that.**" **The chiefs said turning his head to look at me.

**Geronimo: "** How can my sister help you get a grip on whatever happened that night and with what your saying could happen later on?**" **Geronimo's protective side started to show, he didn't appreciate the chief wanting to put me on the spot.

**Damon: "** During that night I wasn't sure if what I was watching was real but then I saw my daughters in the park, they were some of the random victims picked off the streets. When I saw that mouse save them before taking off for the airport my need for answers became more serious, especially with what my daughters told about their time in captivity. He saved my daughters and so many others that night but he still leaves many uncertainties. I heard that woman say her name was Courtney, she admitted to him that someone told her everything she wanted to know, shortly before showing you and revealing you as the one who told her everything.**"**

" Chief.**" **

I didn't know what else to say, so many thoughts rushed through my head. What were they going to ask me, and were they going to do to Arthur, but then there was also Terry, he was born here and if he's like Arthur and since Terry is supposed to be the youngest of the twelve, I didn't want to think about what was going to happen to him. This whole thing would only end up hurting him more since he's actually from here. What was Arthur going to do, what was I going to do if they asked me about them.

**Damon: "** Like I said I don't know what to believe in anymore, and with our culprits now deceased the only one we can turn to for answers is you, which is why I have labeled you as a mouse of interest. Which is why I am going to have to ask you to stay the night over.**" **

**Geronimo: "** Chief my sister almost died, and she's uncomfortable with all this, can't you give her some time until she's ready.**"**

**Damon: "** The longer we hold off the more hectic things will be, the people are going to want answers. Nobody was prepared for something like this, and any attempt to try and get a grip would be nearly impossible. So all I am trying to do is get some kind of grip which I can use to try and come up with something that can calm the people down. It may not work but what can say to the people after what happened. But there's also another reason why I want her to stay the night.**" **

**Geronimo: "** What is it?**" **

**Damon: "** Having her stay the night is also for her protection because I received word that two criminals were busted out of prison and they have a vendetta against ms. Stilton. They are mice who you helped the police take down. Kane Weston and Theodore acapella.**" **Hearing those names I started to panic. The thoughts I was having were bad worrying me already now I those two are on the loose again.

Kane Weston, a mouse I wrote a story on when I during my trip to Florida. I had heard about a series of female mice disappearing and I decided to go over there to write a story on it but I ended up helping the police their find the culprit. Throughout my time there I felt like I was being watched, I turned out to be right when the mouse who stalked me turned out to be the one who was responsible for all the abductions. The guy kept all his victims in the basement of his house and I learned that he liked to torture them all for the sake of, as he put it, purifying them. In his basement those who survived what he did would be branded with a flower on their stomach. He was about to do to me what he did to them if it wasn't for the police showing up on time and saving me. What had happened was that since I had a feeling like I was being stalked I was able to convince some officers who wanted to find this guy for personal reasons to help me confirm my suspicions. It was very dangerous but it worked and I was able to help the police get the guy off the streets.

Theodore Acapella, who was a respected business mouse over in California had strange rumors flying around him about how he was abusive to his employees and supposedly blackmailed his competitors. I thought it would have been a good story to write so I tried to interview him. It wasn't hard to get an interview with him since as soon as he saw me, he started to hit on me. The mouse with orange fur used his charm on me and it actually worked to some extent because I believed that he was a pretty stand up guy, so when he invited me to attend a party I gladly accepted. During the party I used it as my chance to ask him about the allegations, he acted composed like he had nothing to hide and his responses began to make me doubt the allegations against him. It wasn't until I got out of the bathroom and began making my way back to the party when I saw him leaving the building by himself through a back exit. I decided to investigate and what I saw I did not expect, the allegations against him were bad but those didn't carry much weight because of what he was doing running a trafficking ring. I saw him walk up to some mice and start a conversation with them, afterward I saw a woman being dragged across the floor and the mice discussing the price for her. I recorded everything on my phone but I wanted more proof so I carefully got close to them, but I made sure that they wouldn't see me and I heard Theodore mention me in the conversation and how he would bring me in after a few days. He had heard me and my brother, and all the cases we took on so he felt like it wouldn't a good idea to sell me on the day we meet. After hearing that I had to act fast, so I went to the police to show them what I discovered. It was difficult to get them to help me because they didn't have anything on the guy so they wanted more proof. So after plenty of persuading and planning got them to help put together something to catch them in the act. Which meant I had to use myself as bait, I was lucky that it worked the way it did, I went to my apartment and as expected mice broke in to take me, but I had a tracking chip placed on the clothes I was wearing which led the police to Theodore's location and they shut him down. His case caused a huge scandal but I was glad that pervert got what was coming to him.

" Who busted them out?**"**

**Damon: "** We don't know but whoever did was able to get them out without much trouble. We received calls saying that they would most likely head to Mouse Island since in the notes they kept in their cells talked about how they wanted to hurt you after they found you. They knew what city you lived in which is why we were informed. Not only that some of my officers reported that they saw mice who fit their description in the city earlier today.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Where were they imprisoned?!**" **

**Damon: "** They were imprisoned in the states they lived in but last night we were informed of what happened and earlier today my officers are saying that they are here.**" **I wanted to ask how they were able to get here so quickly but it immediately hit me, I knew who was responsible but I questioned why they would bother, they had no problem doing the work themselves so why would they bust out to criminals to do their dirty work.

**Damon: "** I can't be sure that it's them but by this point, I don't know what to believe, which is why I don't want to take any chances.**" **I didn't know what else to do except agree to what he asks. If my suspicions on who busted them out of prison are right, which I am certain they are, then those are going to be even more troublesome.

" Even if I do agree to let you question me, I doubt you would even believe me right away.**"**

**Damon: "** I might not want to but as long as it's something to think about then it's a start. Plus we'll also be assigning mice to look after you.**"**

**Later**

We made our way to the interrogation room where the chief had me sit on a chair that stood opposite from where he sat. Geronimo wasn't in the room but was in the other room with the one-sided mirror. Kornelius and Hercule entered the room and stood close to the door. The chief brought in a water bottle and waited for a few minutes before finally speaking.

**Damon: "** I apologize ms. Stilton for putting you on the spot like this.**"**

" It's alright, I understand You're trying to do your job.**"**

**Damon: "** If it makes you feel better I have officers on high alert, though again I don't know if those mice that one officer reported were the escapees because it shouldn't have taken this short amount of time to get here, again not taking chances. So are you ready to begin.**" **Arthur, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do.

Before questioning could begin the lights in the interrogation room went off.

**Damon: "** What happened?! Why are the lights off?!**" **The chief didn't get a response all he got was silence. Nobody could see a thing, but then the lights started flickering on and off, in the flickering I saw the door fly open hitting Hercule, knocking him out. Kornelius was about to prepare himself for what was coming when a mouse in a janitor's uniform ran in and stabbed him the foot with a broom that was sharpened from the top, which made Kornelius give them the opening the mouse needed to knock him out. Another mouse walked into the room, who also was dressed in a janitor's outfit and they both stared at me. When I could see their faces I recognized them instantly.

**Theodore: "** Hello ms. Stilton, I believe we have some unfinished business.**"**

**Kane: "** I never got around to purify you, let's fix that.**" **I got up from the chair but Theodore pulled out a gun with a suppressor and shot at my left shoulder. The pain of being shot, I didn't have words to describe it, I had never experienced anything like it but a way I can try and describe it would have to be as a small death. Clutching the wound with my paw to try and stop the bleeding only made the stinging worse. My paw felt wet from my blood that was oozing out of the wound. I didn't have time to react before Kane rushed me and hit me in the head with a metal bar. In the seconds before I lost consciousness I heard them talking.**"**

**Kane: "** She was mine!**"**

**Theodore: "** I did what I had to do to keep her from resisting, and besides the first half of this job is mine, the rest is all yours.**"**

**Later**

I slowly began to regain consciousness, my head still hurt, and I couldn't remember what had happened. Slowly the memories started to come back and vision began to come clear, I could see a light, and the silhouettes of what I believed were seats of a vehicle. When my vision became clearer and I tried to move around but found myself to move my arms and legs. My arms were bound behind my back. I was laying down on the floor and tried to get up, but felt my fur rubbing against the car floor mats. I rolled over to see if I was wearing anything, I was wearing only my bra and underwear, the rest of my clothes were gone. My ankles were bound together and I felt pain in my left shoulder. My left shoulder was bandaged up, but I was more worried about where I was. Looking around I could see I was in a van, and with me being able to move albeit barely since the pain of my injury acted whenever I moved. I slowly moved over to the doors of the van and looked out of the window and I saw that the van was in an alley, I started kicking at the doors to try and alert anyone who was outside. I couldn't scream for help since I was gagged again. The doors opened and Kane and Theodore looked at me in amusement.

**Theodore: "**You still look as adorable as you did on the day you ruined me.**"**

**Kane: "** This woman requires purification, I purify her now.**"**

**Theodore: "** Not yet, we must first make our way to our hideout, then you can do as you please. So be patient.**" **Theodore climbed into the van and put me facing the right window on the side of the vehicle. He then tied a rope through an opening on the car floor which had a metal bar visible through it, he tied the rope to it before tying my already bound paws to it. I was stuck on the left side of the vehicle. The right side of the vehicle is the only thing within my line of sight. Not being able to resist, the two mice closed the doors and went to the driver and passenger seat.

They drove me around the city, taunting me, making me feel more vulnerable then they had already made me. When we stopped at a red light I could see mice walking by on the sidewalk. Some mice looked at the window of the van but not reacting to me being held captive in here, they would just walk away.**"**

**Theodore: "** I forgot to mention, the mice who busted us out and gave us this vehicle, made the windows one-sided, I didn't know why but now I think I am starting to see it.**" **He said chuckling. Why was this happening to me, why am I being made to suffer in the aftermath of all this? Where was Geronimo, and where was Arthur.

My question was answered was when they parked the car in front of the coffee shop, not just any coffee shop but the same coffee shop where I took Arthur on the day we went to the beach. Arthur was sitting there by the window drinking coffee, but he wasn't alone, he was with another woman. I didn't recognize her fur looked like it was completely pale white. They both looked as if they were having a conversation, seeing Arthur I lost it. I screamed, kicked, stomped, and thrashed about trying in futile to get his attention. It was for nothing, he couldn't see me, and the feelings of helplessness overwhelmed me and I started to cry, but I still tried to get his attention somehow. The two mice entered the van with four cups of coffee. They started the vehicle to drive off, and when Arthur was out of my line of sight I stopped trying to free myself, and let my emotions continue to overwhelm me. The car made a turn into an alley, Theodore got out of the driver's seat and opened the back doors. He picked up two coffee cups that he had placed on the floor before opening doors, After entering the van he sat on my legs preventing me from moving them. He held the two cups of coffee in front of me and waved them.

**Theodore: "** I am certain you are aware of the kind of damage hot coffee can do someone, right?**" **He strapped down my already bound ankles to the car matt so that I couldn't move my legs from what he was going to do.

**Theodore: "** The first two cups were at regular temperature, but those are for me and Kane, these two cups I am holding are for you, and I asked the barista to make these two as hot as she was allowed to make them, and I was genuinely surprised with how hot they could make them, so I asked for two of their hottest, so best not to let them go cold now.**" **He removed the lids from the coffee cups and poured the boiling hot liquids on my feet. I heard the sound of the hot liquid singeing against my flesh, I screamed and thrashed but my restraints made it impossible to move, so I was forced to endure as he emptied the cups.

**Kane: "** Hey, I'm the one who should be purifying her!**" ** he shouted.

**Theodore: "** Well, the faster we get to our hideout, the sooner you get to having your way with her.**" **Kane moved to the driver's seat as quickly as he could. He quickly started the car, and speed away with us. Theodore moved away from me and I was able to see the full damage of what he did. Small patches of my fur lay on the floor, leaving parts of my feet without fur, steam slowly came from the liquid that stuck to my mostly hairless flesh. I wept from the agonizing pain but Theodore continued. Theodore pulled a sharp knife from his pocket and stabbed the mats close to me, threatening to strike my burned flesh with it.

**Theodore: "** One, two, three on the right. One, two, three, on the left.**" **He started stabbing my toes after he stabbed one he would wait a few seconds before stabbing again. My blood streamed out of the wounds and quickly stained the mats. Theodore then reached over to the bullet wound I had on my left shoulder and removed the bandages and forced his thumb into the wound before twisting it. The shock and pain from it made me lose consciousness.

**Later**

When I awoke this time, my vision was blurry again, my eyes trying to adjust to where I was, from what I could see I was in a dimly lit room, I couldn't feel the ground beneath me. But I also felt my arms weren't tied behind my back this time, but instead tied above my head, I tried moving them, only to hear the sound of chains. When my vision finally adjusted I was able to see the chains clearly, I then looked down to see that my ankles were still bound with rope but the blood and coffee that stained my feet had dried up, scabs were already forming. How long was I out this time? The chains placed on my wrists held me in the air, I wondered what was going to happen next. I started picking up the scent of alcohol behind me. I turned my head to see, a bucket full of the stuff, and next to it I saw what looked like a whip. The sound of the door opening was heard, I turned my head and saw both Theodore and Kane walking into the room.

**Theodore: "** Apologise for what I did in the van, but I had to make sure you couldn't get away so easily, not that you could of course, but in the event you did then I'm sure it wouldn't be that easy.**"**

**Kane: "** I never did get the chance to purify you like I did those other girls, but now that you're here, I can save you.**" **Kane walked towards me after which he started to walk around me, observing me, placing his paws on me, and caressing me, trying to feel every part of me. I shivered from his touch, his paws were so cold.

**Kane: "** First get a feel for my welcomed guests before I start the process of purifying them. Where I was from, there where many beautiful women who took their looks for granted. They were given such amazing looks but they would squander them by trying to make themselves prettier. It bothered me so much that they wouldn't let the true beauty shine, instead they chose to hide behind a mask of lies!**" **He stood in front of me, and grabbed my snout and brought me closer to him, we were now looking eye to eye.

**Kane: "** I wasn't going to just stand by and watch, I knew had to do something so I took upon myself to help them see the error of their ways.**" **He was completely deluded, he left all of the victims in an unrecognizable state, some even died as a result of their injuries later on. how is that helping them? He let go of my snout and removed the gag, Gasping for air, I quickly started shouting.

" Your, crazy? hurting other women because of their looks! You know nothing about beauty! You think you're some kind of savior Your nothing but a murderer. And your friend near the door is no better, he targets women based on their looks so that he can sell them to the highest bidder.**" **The two mice were caught off guard by my sudden outburst. They looked like this was their first time seeing me like this. They started to laugh, Kane walked over to the whip and bucket of alcohol that was placed behind me while laughing.

**Kane: "** You are right about what you said, but that anger of yours is a bit late.**"**

**Theodore: "** I agree, why did it take you so long to get angry, for most of this you were acting pretty fragile. This is why I believe this is you trying to act tough in a moment of desperation". What were they talking about? What just happened? Their tones changed and now they were talking as if they were different mice. Were they just crazy or was their more going on?

" What are you two talking about?**"**

**Kane: "** Don't worry about that, in the meantime, thanks your little outburst, its going to make what happens next more enjoyable.**"**

" What are you going to do?**"** The rage that had filled my voice a moment ago, was replaced with confusion and fear. Kane picked up on the distress in my voice and laughed.

**Kane: "** You were right Theodore, sure her words carried weight but the emotion behind it was very late.**" **They both started laughing again before Kane grabbed the whip and prepared himself. The whip cracked as Kane prepared to use it, he stood a few feet from me and started to strike my back with the whip. My screams echoed throughout the room. He whipped me a total of twenty-five times, each time striking my back with more force and with more speed. My body jutted forward a bit with every strike, blood rushed out of each sliced opening, streaming down my legs before leaking onto the floor, creating a small puddle. Tears rapidly flooded out and dripped onto the floor mixing with the puddle of blood that was slowly spreading. Kane through the whip away, before reaching for the bucket. The sound of the bucket made as it was being lifted and the sound of the liquid moving around the bucket had told me what he planned to do next.

" Please...no.**" **my plea fell on deaf ears and the only sound that was heard for the next few moments were ear-piercing screams as the Kane tossed the alcohol from the bucket onto the open wounds which littered my back.

**Theodore: "** We don't usually get to do this often, so in the times we do, we try to make it worth the wait.**"** He said, unphased by screams. Kane wasn't phased also, instead, he walked to the door but made a sudden turn to the left and walked to a part of the room that wasn't illuminated, when he came back, he held a knife in his paw and stood in front of me. Kane placed the knife near my stomach and looked like he was sketching what to put on my stomach. He then stuck the knife into my stomach and started to carve. No matter how hard I yelled, the only mice who could hear were the ones who brought me here. Geronimo, Trap, Benjamin, Pandora, Suzie, Arthur, Was I not going to see them again. Arthur, where were you, did you abandon me? I begged for anyone to come and help me, I shouted but my pleas only amused my captors. After a while the carving ceased. Kane walked back into the darkness, while I looked at what he did to my abdominal region, from what I could barely see from my blood-stained stomach, it looked like a pair of angel wings but the rest of what he carved I couldn't see. When Kane returned, he held a hot branding iron, the brand was of an angel, holding a baby in her arms. When Kane readied himself to stick the branding iron in the carved area, I started to beg for him not to do it.

" PLEASE PLEASE DON'T I'M BEGGING YOU NO PLEASE-AHHHHHHHH!**" **Kane placed on the branding iron on my stomach, the pain I endured reached its limit when I lost consciousness again.

I awoke suddenly with a rush of energy, Kane stood in front of me and reached for my neck and pulled something out. It was a needle that had filled me with adrenaline. Kane through the needle and pointed to my stomach. I looked and an angel holding a baby in her arms was now burned into my flesh. Looking back at Kane, who was enjoying every bit of what he did to me spoke up.

**Kane: "** The branding iron the other guy used was of a flower, I felt like it would be better to use something that relates what were doing.**" **

Other guy? Is he referring to the stalker? I started to think about when the stalker mousnapped me, and took me to his basement, I saw that the girls he brought were branded with a flower. Thinking about what they had said before when they found my outburst funny, they started acting differently when I yelled at them. I questioned whether or not they were who they said they were.

" Are you two even the criminals I helped authorities catch all those years ago?**" **I said in a weak voice. All the yelling had made my throat sore.

**Kane: " **Surprise.**" **He said jumping for joy.

**Theodore: "** Apologies for assuming their identities but our boss Max that it would work better if we assumed the identities of mice from your past, mice who almost were able to hurt you.**"**

" Then what about the call the chief of police got?**"**

**Theodore: "** Those were mice we had stationed over there to better help sell it since the chief could make sure the calls came from authorities over in those regions. Max requested the help of Courtney to better help sell the bit, after all, she likes to go the extra mile.**" **

" Courtney, but she's dead?**"** I said confused.

**Theodore: "** Did you believe someone like her would let herself be caught by the police. No who died was her double, And the others who died along with her were the ones she left with the double. But if it makes you better she was the one who forced you to reveal everything about Arthur. And that last bit is the reason why we're here.**"**

" What?**"**

**Kane: "** Max ordered us to be the one to deliver your punishment since he can't do it himself, with all the information and Data you helped get, he's a little occupied at the moment, so he made us do it. Although he ask Courtney to let him borrow us.**"**

" Punishment, what punishment.**"**

**Kane: " **On that night you sold out the mouse who was only trying to help you. And while Max understands wholeheartedly about the situation you were in, he still believes you shouldn't be left off the hook that easily. And now because of what you gave away, Things will only get interesting.**"**

" What do you want with him anyway?**" **

**Theodore: "** Three months of our time were almost wasted, but thanks to him the wait was worth it. It became more worth it when you revealed everything about him.**"**

" Courtney was going to kill two kids what was I supposed to do?!**"**

**Kane: "** Like i said before he doesn't blame you but in exchange for a bullet not being blasted through their heads, you condemned your friend, everything he knows he trusted you with and you gave it away. But the question is why did he trust you?**"**

" Because we're friends?**" **I said not entirely convinced of that answer.

**Kane: "** Such good friends you kept asking him questions about himself, all the while refusing to say anything about yourself. and not only that you let him tell him get personal with you.**" **

" That's...not true.**"**

**Kane: "** Really, say one thing about yourself that you him that was personal, if he was willing to get personal with you then you surely you got personal with him.**" **

**Theodore: "** When he fell from the sky and after he saved from being killed by Ares, did you see him as some kind of solution to your problem. If you got him to scratch your back, would you have scratched his in return. After all, these events are out of your league, so how did you plan on repaying him, if you were even planning on doing that?**" **

I didn't even get a chance to say anything, Kane put the gag back on me and started to beat me, all the while still questioning my inventions for helping Arthur on the night I meet him. The beating lasted a few moments, after he was done, he placed his paws on my neck and started strangling me. I didn't have much fight in me, my body was hurting, the chains were keeping my arms from moving, and the blood that had left my body was starting to make me dizzy. I thought this would be the end, and the only thing on my mind was Arthur and how we almost kissed at the beach. In a last-ditch effort to call for help, I raised my legs quickly to kick Kane back, the shock from my foot injuries gave me the jolt I needed to try and call for help just one more time.

" Armmmphr hmmmph!**"** Tears once again streamed down from my eyes, As I prayed for somebody to come.

**Kane: "**I don't mind you putting up a fight, it keeps things fun. However this whole thing has been a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong its fun but theirs a limit to how much you can endure, while that other brat had no limit. We haven't been able to inflict the same kind of pain we used to inflict in over eight years, so when ever we do this to others its not as satisfying because they can't last long. So apologies but if I don't end it right now then its only going to get boring.**"** Theodore ran and held my legs down, while Kane continued to strangle me. Without anything left all I could do now was wait until it was over, The only thing on my mind in my last moments was Arthur, and questioning why he didn't save me.

Then as if on cue. The wall suddenly burst open and a familiar mouse entered, with eyes that were bloodshot red, teeth razor-sharp, with wings that looked like they were made of blood, and with multiple tails, that were much longer and looked also as if they were made of blood, and he had a look of pure rage.

" Armmmmphr!**"**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still apply**

**Chapter 7: Aftermath part 2**

**Arthur P.O.V**

**Day 1 after the incident.**

The only thought on my mind was to just getaway. She trusted me and now because of me she almost died along with several others. I didn't know what to do except fleeing, the police weren't going to let me walk away so flying away was the best option. I used the power of the mark to win the fight, but using it can do serious damage to my body if I stay in this form for too long. I was already weak from the fight so it wasn't long before I passed out mid-flight outside the city. 

When I woke up I was beside a tree. My injuries were slowly healing, so I used the time to think. The sun slowly rose from the horizon and the thoughts of how this night was going to affect the populace were one of the things on my mind. Terry was another thought, He had been trying to hide from mice, and now with the population on this island is aware of the supernatural, it won't be long before more mice outside the island become aware. Things would become difficult from him. I tried to find a solution but nothing I thought would work. There was just no way I was going to stop mice everywhere from learning about what happened. 

It had been a few hours since I had awoken. I had been staring at the city from a distance.

My injuries were almost healed up, I had spent the time wondering how the city must be handling what happened, but I was more about Thea. Was she alright? How was she handling what happened? Looking at my torn outfit the professor had made for me, made me wonder how upset he would be if I brought back the suit looking the way it did. All my thoughts were interrupted when my stomach began to rumble. I may still be weak, but I could get up and look for food as long as I don't use my powers. Searching for food wasn't that hard, the berries laying around the area were enough to satisfy my hunger. It was a good thing Cortney, or Max couldn't find me when I was outside the city, it did want to know what exactly was hiding my energy from their trackers. I lay back down near the tree I was next to earlier when I heard someone's voice. 

**Alden: "** So this was where you hiding.**" **he said sounding pleased with himself. I got up to greet him. I was startled because I didn't think he would find me so soon but I calmed down.

" Hey, Alden. How have things been?**"**

**Alden: "** A little slow but I expect things to be a little crazy for a bit**" **His tone changed while he spoke, his happy attitude changed to one of worry.

**Alden: "** I saw the broadcast, I wasn't the only one of course both Matt and Maria saw it too, and when Maria saw it she blew a gasket. She was about to fly into the city but she realized that it would only make things worse.**"**

" I don't blame her for getting angry. Things will start to change around here, and it's all because of me.**"**

**Alden: "** Don't blame yourself, Cortney played you, because to her, Max, and their boss, it's just an opportunity to collect data.**"**

" Where's Matt?**"**

**Alden: "** He's trying to calm Maria down but not sure he's trying to be careful to not let himself get burned alive by accident.**"**

" I do have to ask, you still haven't told me everything yet. Just who are these mice that are after Terry?**"**

**Alden: "** I'll tell you about it tomorrow, I just came to find you. Now that I have, I can go back and help Matt calm Maria down. She is upset, she wants to kill you, but we're trying to convince her that working with you might be our only chance of helping Terry now.**" **Alden walked back to where the others were and told me that he'll let me follow him back to his hideout until after Maria is calm. He tossed me a bag that was filled with and drinks, he wanted me to remain where I was and not go off anywhere the next time I was hungry. Seeing the food that was in the bag, did make me hungry again, and since I am not in the best of positions right now, I promised that I wouldn't leave from this spot until he came back. Sitting down and enjoying the food he brought, I resumed looking at the city. I thought about Thea and about how I would ever make things right with her again. 

**Day 2 after the incident.**

Alden returned to the site the next morning and had brought another bag of food. He and I ate the food he brought in and chatted about the day. With him here I asked about the monsters I fought on that night.

" So Alden, about those monsters in the city?**"**

**Alden:** **"** You don't have to worry about them.**"**

" Why?**"**

**Alden: "** The monsters you fought on the airport were called to return to their master, while the metal monsters evaporated leaving only their metal armor behind.**"**

" Evaporated?**" **I said confused.

" The giant monster you fought in the city are different than the ones you fought in the Airport.**"**

" What were those monsters I fought?**"**

Alden revealed that the giant monsters were of extraterrestrial origin. I wasn't a stranger to alien stuff since my universe three counterpart was a kind of space cop. 

**Alden: "** The giant metal monsters are actually of species of alien that can quickly adapt to any environment they are in. They start as a small slime-like creature after they hatch, and depending on where they hatch. They move around and hide as they take on a form, and once they take on a form they begin to mutate into something that will help them survive, but the thing they will always have, is metal armor. And once they die, the body evaporates but the armor stays.**"**

" So the armor is all that's left of their existence?**"**

**Alden: "** Yes, but that armor can be turned into all kinds of things. Weapons, armor, furniture, houses, buildings, even clothes. The metal armor is stronger than any metal here on Earth, but it can easily be turned into whatever you want if you have enough of the stuff. And I highly doubt that Courtney and Max will allow the authorities here to take it and figure out what kind of metal it is.**"**

" Where did Courtney and Max even get such metal creatures**?"**

**Alden: "** That's because when these aliens first attacked, they did so in Terry's home, which is the same home Matt and I are from.**"**

" Where are you guys from? And why didn't you mention Maria is she not from the same home you guys are from?**" **He started to scratch his head in discomfort. Just what was about Maria that worried him so much.

**Alden: "** Maria is just very stressed about this whole thing, she wants to protect Terry, and this situation has been hard on her. She just can't find herself trusting anyone, and I am sure she doesn't trust me or matt all that much.**"**

" Is she Terry's mom?**"**

**Alden: " **No, she's not. But she does wish to be a kind of mother figure to him. Although she goes about it in ways that have me and Matt raise questions.**"**

" Why does She want to protect him so much?**"**

**Alden: "** She knows what it's like to be the only one who's different.**"**

" What do you mean?**"**

Alden hesitated, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell me about who Maria was. He got up and started to leave, but not before leaving another bag with me. Alden asked me to wait until the next day because he wanted to make sure of something. What was in the bag were new clothes. 

**Alden: " **I think it's best if you stretch your legs a bit, you should be able to get around more since your injuries have healed.**" **I have been thinking of going into the city and seeing how the citizens have been reacting to what happened. I also wanted to know how Thea was doing although I don't think I could even face her. She must probably hate me for almost getting her and Pandora killed.

The clothes came along with a hoodie to keep my face concealed. I took off the outfit the professor made for me, and put on the new clothes, and peeked in the bag to see if there was anything else and there was some money in there. Picking up and counting the money there were a hundred dollars. I don't know why he gave me this money when I was going to ask Alden, he was gone. My curiosity about what was going on in the city was getting to me so I made my way into the city. 

In the city, the only thing I kept hearing mice chatter on about was what happened on that night. Some mice were saying that they were glad mice close to them were able to return home, but they still had concerns, while others were letting their fears get over them. I was walking past a T.V store when I saw Geronimo on the screen. He was being forcefully removed from the sight of where the giant earthworm died. Several other mice were standing in front of the T.V watching what was happening.

**Male mouse #1: "** Do you see how aggressive they are with him?**"**

**Male mouse #2: "** I'm telling you, man, the government was responsible for what happened, they're just mad that they can't cover things up this time.**"**

**Female Mouse: #1 "** They are acting like mice who are trying to hide something.**"**

**Male mouse #3: "** Well it's not like they can hide a monster as big as that. Although I wonder what they plan on doing to the other monsters.**" **

**Male mouse 4: "** It's a sign that the end is coming!**"**

I failed to dispose of the earthworm monster. Only half of its body was visible but the other half was still underground. I Left the crowd and made my way to the sight of the giant worm. Along the way, I continued to hear mice speak about their feelings towards the event. Some seemed relieved that mice close to them came back but they still some worries over how they were saved. While others were letting their fears get to them. I couldn't help but think of Terry and how things were going to be for him once word spreads.

Thea was also on my mind but I wasn't sure what to do yet. I went to her place to see if she was there but I learned she wasn't there after a few minutes. She's probably still at the hospital, so I should get her something, and tell the nurse they came from a friend. But I could do that later I needed to go to the site where the earthworm was so I can see what's going on there. 

After a bit of walking, I made it to the sight, the area was cut off and no-one was allowed near, but that didn't stop people from taking pictures and videos from a distance. Geronimo wasn't in the area so I didn't have to worry about bumping into him. The guards stationed around the area looked ready to hurt anyone who tried to get close to them. I didn't have to worry about that since I had enough energy to investigate. Turning invisible I walked past the guards and towards the monster. Reaching it I wondered how Cortney could hold a creature of this size under control. While checking out the earthworm, I had found the spot in the armor which I destroyed, which gave me the chance to attack the worm. There wasn't anything underneath the armor so I jumped through it. Going through it I found that there was only darkness except for the light going through the hole. I shot a fireball in both directions to see if there was anybody else here. There wasn't anyone else here, the armor was completely hollowed out. Looking at the metal of the armor an idea came up. If this metal can be used for anything like Alden said then perhaps I could use it to create a new suit. Using warp gate I sent pieces of metal through to my spot in the forest. I jumped through the hole and got out of the area, I was starting to get tired. I could have jumped through the warp gate but there were still things I needed to deal with. Once out of the area and into an alley I became visible again and headed for Volt's lab. 

**Volt lab **

**Later**

I was in front of the door to Volt's lab and entered. Volt was sitting on a chair drinking coffee while reading the newspaper. He put the cup on the table before getting off the chair and walking towards another table which had another suit laying on it.

**Volt: "** How long are you going to be standing there?**" **

" Oh, professor you already saw me waiting**," **I said in nervous surprise.

" I saw you walking in. You've certainly found yourself in quite a mess.**"**

" Yeah, you're right.**" **I walked to the professor to see the suit more of the suit he was working on.

**Volt: "** You managed to save all the victims who were taken by the crazy woman, but in doing so you have exposed the world to something it might not have yet been ready for. And how it was introduced may work against you, but it may hurt the one you are looking for more than it will hurt you since you are not from here.**" **He was right. 

**Volt: "** The suit I made for you. You're not wearing it.**"** Volt looked slightly confused.

" Sorry professor, but I couldn't go walking around the city with it on.**"**

**Volt: "** And how did you get those clothes?**"**

" A friend brought them.**" **The professor was about to ask another question when his phone rang. He walked to the corner of his lab to answer it. Not wanting to bother him I left him I stayed near the suit. Volt came back a few minutes later.

" Who was it?**" **I asked him.

**Volt: "** It was Geronimo.**"**

" Oh, how is he doing?**"** I asked nervously.

**Volt: "** He's keeping it together. After what happened he's been more concerned with his sister and his friends.Which makes me want to ask why don't you go see him**?**"

" I am not sure if I should.**"**

**Volt: "** why not?**"** The professor said confused.

" It's just that after that night I don't want to put them in any more danger. Ever since they found me I feel like they become bigger targets.**"**

**Volt: "** They've always been targets. It comes with the territory, they always put their snouts into other mice's business so it's not surprising that the mice they write stories about would hold a grudge against them. They knew what they were getting themselves into but they still kept helping you.**"**

" But have they faced anything like what they are facing now?**"**

**Volt: "** Granted, this is a most unusual case but as long as they have each other then it will all work out in the end.**" **Families sticking together, I had forgotten what that felt like. I may not have my family anymore but what can do is make sure nobody else goes through what I went through.

**Volt: "** Thea has also said that with you around things seem to be safer, not only for her but for her family.**"**

" Well, I haven't been doing such a good job of protecting her.**"**

**Volt: "** Well staying away from her isn't going to make her safe, it's just going to leave her vulnerable. She doesn't blame you for anything that happens, because even though you can do things that shouldn't be scientifically possible, she knows that you're just a mouse trying to do his best.**" **I didn't know what to say. Even after everything she still wants me around. Thinking about what I just heard I decided to take some time to think about what to do next.

" Alright professor, thanks for that talk, I'll leave you alone.**"**

**Volt: "** Feel free to come back anytime, I do want to show you your new outfit when it's done.**" **The outfit the professor was talking about still looked like it had ways to go before it could be finished. An idea came into my head, I asked the professor to hold off working on the suit until I got something. Using the warp gate I brought the pieces of metal that I collected into Volt's lab. 

**Volt: "** What is that?**" **The professor asked curiously. 

I spent the next few minutes telling him about the metal but left out where it came from. The professor was interested in the metal and after a bit of examining the metal decided that he would try using the metal on the suit. It was going to take a bit so I left his lab and wondered what he had planned for the suit now that he had the metal.

**A few hours later**

I had spent the last few hours thinking about what the professor had said to me and tried to think about what I was going to say when I saw Thea in the hospital. Along the way, I had purchased chocolates in a heart-shaped box and some flowers. I did still hear mice talk about their feelings towards the incident but I wasn't as worried about that as much now. 

After making it to the hospital I saw Simon also walking to the hospital. Probably going to see Sally, although I assumed he was only visiting her because he just wanted to make sure he would still be getting a paycheck, but I may never know. Well I mean I could know what he's thinking but I don't want to be rude. Simon walked in first into the hospital, and after waiting a few minutes to prepare myself for whatever she was going to say I went in. The lady on the counter greeted me.

**Hospital Receptionist: "** Welcome, how may I help you today?**" **She said smiling at me and patiently waited for a response.

" I am here to see Thea Stilton.**"**

**Hospital Receptionist: "** Friend or Family?**"**

" Friend.**" **The receptionist looked at me unsure of my appearance. Even with the flowers and the Chocolate, she was slightly put off by how I tried to hide my face with the hoodie. Thinking about the hoodie I wondered if it was a good idea to even be here. The receptionist was silent for a moment before speaking again. 

**Female Receptionist: "** Her room is on the second floor, room 238.**"**

" Thanks.**"**

After thanking her I walked to the room Thea was said to be in, along the way I wondered how long Thea would be here. Looking around I remembered waking up here when I first met Thea. It was an odd introduction but the fact that I am here to see her made me start to feel guilty. As I drew closer to Thea's room the guilt started getting to me so I walked away into the nearest bathroom to clear my head. In the bathroom, I walked up to the mirror and removed my hoodie before starting to talk to myself. 

" Okay Arthur, relax. You came here to see Thea, so stop worrying so much.**"** I couldn't stop worrying about her, I was probably overreacting but the thought of confronting her scared me because I believed she would blame me for almost getting her and Pandora killed. I needed to calm down so I thought back to what Volt said back in the lab. It did cool me down a little, it was enough to convince me to go and see her again. Before I could get the things I purchased for Thea I heard a familiar but unpleasant voice greet me.

**Simon: "** Well good to see you again.**" **They stood Simon blocking the exit, with a large evil grin on his face.

**Simon: "** I honestly thought that after the incident you wouldn't show your snout again. But now that you are here I won't have to waste time looking for you, which makes what I'll do now a lot easier.**" **

" I have many ways of getting out of here, plus you've seen what I can do so I fail to understand why you blocking the door is somehow going to keep me here.**" **Simon's expression quickly changed and he quickly started to plead for me not to leave.

**Simon: "** Wait wait wait don't leave I wasn't going to do anything I just wanted to talk!**" **I put the items I purchased near the sink. And listened to what Simon had to say.

**Simon: "** Okay first off I would like to say sorry for how I acted a moment ago, it's a habit from all the years working with Sally. And she is the reason why I wanted to talk to you.I wanted to say thanks for saving her.**" **Simon crossed his arms and looked away in slight embarrassment.

**Simon: "** Don't get used to me apologizing okay, this was only a one-time thing. And don't think this is because I care about her. After all, it's not. I'm just happy that I will still be able to put food on the table.**" **My body began to slightly vibrate from what he had said. Simon saw this and was spooked.

**Simon: "** What was that?**"**

" It's a power of mine, whenever I hear a lie my body reacts to it by vibrating, it's like how a phone vibrates when it receives a message.**"**

**Simon: "** Why are you using your powers in a hospital?**"**

" I don't have much in the way of control over this power, It's just something that activates whenever I hear a lie.**"**

**Simon: "** So when it activated when I talked then-**"**

" It means you weren't being entirely honest.**"** Simon looked upset with what he just learned, he looked around before sighing.

**Simon: "** Okay well if I can't tell any kind of lie then whatever I say next is something that you can't mention to the Stilton's okay.**"** Geronimo and Thea don't like Simon, so I don't think they will be asking me any questions about him.

**Simon: "** The truth is, I was worried about Sally, like very worried about her. When I saw her that night and when I saw all the mice that work for the daily rat on the T.V, and how they almost could have died. I was scared that I could have been one of those victims.**" **I only knew Simon based on what Thea and Geronimo had told me and from my interaction with him so it was surprising to see him show a soft side. 

**Simon: "** And when I saw you risk your own life to save all those mice, I mean you were beaten to a pulp in that fight in the airport but yet you still kept on fighting to save all those mice. Even for Sally, which made me wonder why you did. Why did you do it, you didn't know any of those mice except for Stilton, but other than her you didn't know any of those mice so why would you almost die for them? Fame, glory, or what? What reason could you have had for saving them?**"**

" It was never about fame or glory, it's about helping people and giving them a reason to smile. Unfortunately, I wasn't smiling during that incident, although I don't think it would have done much to change how the people reacted since this was something that they've never seen before.**"**

**Simon: "** What would smiling do?**"**

" When a hero smiles, it's a way of telling the people that everything is going to be okay because now they have someone to rely on. Someone who can help them get through a troubling time. Someone who can give people hope for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, if I'm being honest with you, I don't I've been doing well in following my beliefs, because ever since I got here it's been one surprise after another and so far I don't think I've been doing a really good job as a hero. Look no further than how things are going on out there, and when I add that with some other concerns then I have my work cut out for me.**" **Simon thought about what I said and looked confused but somewhat relieved.

**Simon: "** I guess in some way I can understand because a while back I dressed up as a superhero and while at first, it was to help sell papers but when I saved someone who was really in danger I had a feeling that I couldn't explain it at the time. But the feeling of it made me want to continue to help others, I even saved Geronimo's sister one time.**" **Simon saved Thea, from how Simon was talking, he was being honest about how he felt. While he may try to sound like someone who cares only about his job, he does have the potential to care for others around him. Which makes it appear as if there is more to why he puts up with Sally. 

" Simon, is there any other reason for why you stick with Sally that isn't work-related. From how you sound and from what you've told me, you sound like someone who has other layers to him. Layers he wouldn't want to show others because it would affect how others see you. And I feel like working for someone like Sally has shown how to better suppress those other layers, for the sake of being how she wants you to act but is that really how you want to act?**" **Simon stepped away from the door and walked in front of the mirror and to a look at himself before speaking again.

**Simon: "** For my job then yes, but ever since that incident the other night, I have been thinking about what you told me the first time we met and how that incident made me feel. I've been starting to think that maybe I should at least reconsider some things. And the first thing would be to talk to Sally.**"** I looked at the flowers that I had placed near one of the sinks, and a thought appeared.

" You know Simon if you want I can give you the flowers so you could give them to Sally, although I don't know if she likes flowers.**" **Simon quickly looked at me in surprise.

**Simon: " **Oh, you don't have to do that.**"**

" Well, I figured since we are in a hospital you could at least have something for the mouse you are visiting.**" **Simon looked at the flowers looking back at me.

**Simon: "** Are you sure?**"**

" I'm sure.**" **

**Simon: "** Well then...thanks.**"** Simon picked up the flowers and thanked me for listening to him before leaving the bathroom. I was feeling more ready to see Thea, so I grabbed the chocolates and got out of the bathroom. Before I could make my way to Thea's room I heard Alden's voice calling my name.

**Alden: "** Arthur, I finally found you.**" **I turned to see him running up to me. He was slightly out of breath.

" Hey Alden, what's going on.**"**

**Alden: "** You need to come back with me to the forest outside the city.**"**

"Why?**"**

**Alden: "** Maria has decided that it's time to meet you.**"**

" How did you find me?**"**

**Alden: "** It wasn't hard to figure out where you would go after I could tell that you were very worried for her.**"**

" True, but can't this wait, I am currently in the middle of something.**"**

**Alden: "** She's not going anywhere, and besides this is important because it also has something in regards to Ares.**"**

**Day 3**

By the time we got to the woods it was getting late, Alden told me to not use powers since I need to give myself time to recover. As for my visit with Thea, I would have to wait until tomorrow to see her again since visiting hours were most likely over. I was getting tired from all the walking, and Alden was getting tired too, so both of us rested for the night near a tree. Well, I rested near a tree, Alden slept on one of the tree branches. Before I fell asleep I looked at the box of chocolates I bought for Thea and thought about what to say to her. Even if she couldn't hear me I still wished her a good night and hoped to see her tomorrow. 

The next morning we Alden lead to where he, matt, and Maria were hiding Terry. It was a bit of a walk to where they were hiding, but Alden led me to a cave that was at the very bottom of a mountain.

**Alden: "** This is where we hid Terry.**"**

" In a cave?**"**

**Alden: "** Yes, and a reason why we kept him in here was that we have reason to believe that whatever is in that cave, is the reason why any form of tracking doesn't work.**"**

" What is this cave?**"**

**Alden: "** That's what I am going to show you.**"** We both walked into the cave and Alden used the time to explain what happened more than three months ago.

**Alden: "** Me, Matt, Maria, and Terry were on the run for years. Always going from place to place. Matt and I used that as a chance to show Terry the world, and Maria tried to become sort of a mother figure to Terry.Maria tried her best to keep Terry away from other mice so Terry never got the opportunity to socialize with others, which was a shame because after what happened eight years ago it should have been a time where we try to help Terry heal and finally see the world and grow like everybody else but couldn't bring herself to trust other mice yet which just makes me confused, because even after all this time Matt and I wonder why she keeps us around if she hates other mice being around Terry.**"**

" Just who is Maria?**" **

**Alden: "** You'll see soon enough but warning though, when she finally sees you she might not be in the best mood so try and keep calm okay. In fact because of how she is acting Matt, and I decided that it would be best if we leave Thea out of this for now and let you tell her about what happened when you can.**"**

" Alright if you can't tell me yet then why don't you tell me how you guys got stuck here.**"**

**Alden: " **It was supposed to be just like any other stop we made, but there were places we went to where Terry acted very strange. He would walk as if he were in some kind of trance. He would walk into caves and snap out of it when he reached a certain point. Although we don't why this happens so when it happened again we wanted to know what was going on and this time we got our answer because unlike the other caves, this one led us to an answer. Unfortunately, it was an answer that Terry wasn't happy to see.**"**

" What happened?**"**

" When Terry snapped out of it, he saw the cause of his trance, which made him panic and when he panics he used his powers, and another is that Terry has no control over his powers, so when panicked he made the entire cave shake violently which started a cave in. We were about to blast our way out of the cave but then Terry did something that not only stopped the cave in but it became the reason why we couldn't leave this island.**"**

" What was that?**" **Alden didn't answer, he just kept walking until I started to see a light in the distance. When we reached it there were different colored gems scattered around the place, but what got my attention was the sight that lay before me. Diamond-like branches that extended everywhere in this area of the cave. Looking up branches were holding the giant boulders that would have otherwise crushed everyone in here. The branches came from a single source, a large diamond stood near the wall and above it was a symbol that appeared to have been etched on the wall. The symbol was three arrows, two were crisscrossing while the last one went right in between the two and all three of them were facing down. Alden pointed at the diamond and after looking I saw the figure of a mouse within the diamond. 

**Alden: "** Terry encased himself using his diamond powers.**"**

" So this is why you couldn't leave.**"**

**Alden: "** We tried many times to get him out of here but no matter what we did we couldn't get him out here.**"** I walked to the diamond and getting closer to it let me see Terry more clearly. I was told by the marked bearer from the twelfth universe that Terry was supposed to be the youngest of us twelve. From what I see Terry looks to be in his teenage years. I was about to touch the diamond that Terry encased himself in when a loud female scream echoed throughout the cave. 

**?: "** Don't you dare touch him!**"** A loud screech could be heard which got louder and louder and a bright light could be seen in one of the darker areas of the cave.

**Matt: "** Easy girl he's not going to hurt him!**"**

**Alden: "** Matt's right this the mouse we've been telling you about, and the one who you wanted to meet!**"** The screech noises and the bright light ceased and two figures emerged from the dark spot. One of them was a mouse-like which I knew was Matt, but the other figure was bigger and not so mouse-like. The larger figure that emerged spread its large wings before flying to confront me. It was a dragon, the dragon's scales were a white color and her eyes were green. She flew in front of me and I backed away, she was now blocking me from getting to Terry. The only thing on my mind was how was there a dragon here? She slowly crawled towards me, I walked slowly walked back away from her trying to maintain some distance, she looked ready to fight. The look in eyes was one of great hostility. We both stopped in the middle of the cavern where she sat up straight and changed her expression. Her look was stern, she didn't know what to make me but looked ready to fight. 

**?: "** I am Maria.**" **I couldn't find the right words to say, Alden mentioned that Maria was able to relate to Arthur because she knew what it was like to be different, but I had thought of something different, this was not what I had in mind.

**Maria: "** Before anything happens I need to know something.**"** She leaned in closer to me.

**Maria: "** Why are you here, I want you to tell me everything, that includes everything I heard Cortney mentioned during her Livestream on that night.**"** If I am going to find some common ground with her then I have to tell her everything, this was going to take a while.

**Evening**

Our conversation lasted almost the whole day, I told Maria about the Marks, the other universes, and why I am here. Maria got upset at the parts that related to Terry, but she composed herself enough to let me continue. After I told her everything she asked me to get out of the cave so she could think about what I had told her. Not wanting to upset her I did as she was told, but Matt followed me outside the cave. Once out of the cave the stars littered the skies. Looking at them I couldn't help but think of Thea and how we looked at the stars the night she was abducted. I had planned to see her in the hospital but visiting hours were probably over again. A silver lining was that all this has restored more of my energy, it wouldn't be long before I was back to full strength. I still had the chocolates I bought for Thea and hoped that I would be able to see her tomorrow, so we can talk. Matt looked at me staring at the box of chocolates and started talking. 

**Matt: "** Alden told me that you blame yourself for what happened to her.**" **I looked at him, he was trying to be comforting but quickly looked away and kept staring at chocolates.

**Matt: "** Listen, buddy, I don't know what you and that girl have going on right now but what you need to know is that it's not your fault for what happened.**"**

" Alden said the same thing to me but here I am guilt-ridden for what happened.**"**

**Matt: "** Does it have something to do with how Cortney teased you while you were fighting to save all those mice, because I saw the broadcast, and she said things that hit a nerve, so if it's alright with you I want to know what's that about.**" **

I told Matt about my past relationships which got me to start talking about my family, and how all their deaths had impacted me. Matt still tried to be comforting but he was getting serious. about what I had just told him.

**Matt: "** You're not the only one on that boat.**"**

" What do you mean?**"**

**Matt: "** Terry, and Maria know what it's like to lose those closest to them, but Terry might be a bit of a different story.**" ** Matt looked up into the night sky and took in a deep breath before looking at me.

**Matt: "** The mice that are after Terry, how much has Alden told you about them?**"**

" Not much, all he told me was they are the ones causing the city problems and he gave the names of the two mice running the thing, and how both do things.**"**

**Matt: "** Listen those mice take a lot of pleasure in making whoever they target feel as helpless as possible, they may have different ways of doing things but in the end, both can physically or mentally destroy someone. So when you arrived it wasn't a surprise to us that they would target you and any other who was with you.**"**

" Alden said that those two were the left and right sides to whoever was really in control.**"**

**Matt: "** And he was right, the mastermind only cares about one thing and those are results, he doesn't care what he has to do to get them. Everything that has happened on this island before and after you arrived was nothing more than an experiment for him, just a means of getting data and pushing his plans forward.**"**

" Just who is this guy?**"**

**Matt: "** His name is Eric. He is Terry's father.**"**

"What?!**"**

**Matt: "** Let me start at the beginning. Terry is from a series of islands that are hidden from the rest of the world. There are seven islands, but at the point, they were a single island. An island that broke apart after a war where gods allied with mortals to push back a powerful enemy. Each island is dedicated to one of the gods that helped defend our world. Arminus the warrior, Alvis the scholar, Laia the artist, Zacharias the holy minister, Saira the wanderer, Crow the sorcerer, and Aaron the prophet. The island where Aaron is praised is also the island where the mortal who brought these gods together is also praised but his name was lost to us, but he was a champion for our world so we referred to him as Earth's champion.**"**

" Hold on, did you say sourcer? There's magic here?**"**

**Matt: "** The magic comes from the artifacts crow left behind, the inhabitants use these artifacts to deal with more supernatural forces, like spirits and any other thing you can think of that's mystical.**" **Deal with spirits, so that's why those spirits couldn't help me find Thea. There were mystical forces at play. If they can use magic to get the spirits under their control, then what other artifacts do they have in their possession. 

**Matt: "**The way of these gods would be the way people would live their lives. Terry's father is from the island of Alvis. He was one of the most intelligent scientists on that island, making several breakthroughs in several scientific fields. While Terry's mother Freya, was born on the island of Laia, she was a renowned artist, who was known for her depictions of each of the islands, and their inhabitants. She was also a good friend of mine when She was pregnant with Eric's child something very unusual began to happen. All the temples began to glow and as she progressed the temples glowed brighter until finally, she gave birth when she did all the temples released beams of light that formed a three-headed dragon. When Terry was born everyone in the room noticed that on his back he had the mark of Earth's Champion which were the three arrows that you saw in the cave. That mark would be what would lead to Terry going through years of suffering, so seeing the mark in the cave brought back all the memories of his pain which caused him to panic, and the rest you know.**" **

" But there are still some questions that I hope I can have answered.**"**

**Matt: "** That's something you're going to have to take up with Maria or Alden, though Maria could give you a better explanation since she was with Terry through everything while Alden got to see Terry whenever he could.**" **Matt was feeling exhausted so he walked into the cave to get some rest, but before he went in he told me to rest outside because Maria still hated me so it wouldn't be a good idea for me and Maria to be in the same place. It was getting cold and windy but I didn't want to upset anyone so I sat near the entrance of the cave and used the time to think about what I had learned from Matt. There were still questions I wanted to be answered but for right now I used the time to think about how I was going to use what I learned to figure out how I was going help Maria see that I don't mean any harm to Terry I want to help him, I just need to get Maria to see it. It wasn't long before my eyelids started to feel heavy and I drifted off into sleep. 

**Day 4 after the incident**

**Morning**

Another morning. My energy was almost fully restored, not that much longer now. I footsteps approaching from within the cave and it was Matt coming to greet me. We said hello to each other before Matt asked me to walk back to Maria. Last night all three of Terry's guardians discussed what they were going to do next. The conversation lasted an hour before all three of them went to sleep. It took that long because Matt and Alden tried to persuade Maria into agreeing with what the both had planned. He didn't say what they had planned except that this was my one shot with Maira, so I couldn't screw it up. 

We reached the cavern where Alden and Maira waited. Alden handed something to Maria before heading to us. As for Maria, she went behind the diamond terry was encased in. 

**Alden: "** Alright we managed to convince Maria to give you a shot, so just for today you and Maria are going to hang out.**"**

" Here in the cave?**"**

**Matt: "** Not exactly, you are going to treat Maria to a nice walk around town.**"**

" I'm sorry, what?**" **Didn't Maria hate being around other mice, why would she agree to go along with this? 

**Maria: "** He said we were going for a walk didn't you hear.**"** Maria said annoyed. When I looked at her I was shocked because what stood near Terry wasn't a dragon but a mouse. Her fur was pale white, she didn't have any wings, she looked like the average mouse wearing a yellow T-shirt and Yellow skirt, her hair was long and grey. Her green eyes stood out more with how much they shined in the light coming off the crystals. She didn't like this idea one bit but she looked at Matt and Alden.

**Maria: "** If anything happens I'll kill you both.**"**

**Matt: "** You can trust us.**"**

**Alden: "** Yeah, have a little faith.**" **Maria growled at them before grabbing my arm and walking me out of the cave.

She wouldn't say anything until we got out of the cave. She let go and walked around. She spent a few minutes stretching. I did have to admit in her mouse form she did look cute, I wondered how she was able to become a mouse though. I did see Alden hand something to Maira, what was it? Whatever it was, it probably turned her into a mouse. She turned around and pointed in the direction of the city.

**Maria: "** Let's get this over with.**" **She said while walking in the direction she pointed at. I quickly followed her, standing next to her I tried starting a conversation but what she would only give me angry looks before looking straight ahead. This was going to be a long day.

**Afternoon**

Once in the city, I tried to talk to Maria but she refused to even look at me. The purpose of this was to get her to see me as someone she can rely on because we both want to protect Terry. I may not have the full story yet but with what I do know I have to help these guys protect Terry, and if he doesn't have control over his powers then I could help him control his powers. We walked to the park where I fought to save most of the female hostages to find that not many mice were in it, probably afraid that another centipede monster popping out and attacking them. 

**Maria: "** Well, isn't this the part where the guy tries to show a girl a good time?**"**

" What?**"**

**Maria: " **There are not that many mice here. Which is good, means things can move smoothly. So what are you waiting for?**" **

" I'm sorry I didn't think you were going to speak to me.**"**

**Maria: "** Well I have to, for Terry's sake.**" **She tried putting on a smile but was having trouble making it look convincing. I didn't think she had to try that hard for something like this but she said she was doing it for Terry. I didn't know much about the park so I walked around with Maria and tried to at least please her with some of the sights the park had, like with the fountain at the center, the ducks in the pond, and spending time walking around with her.

After an hour we sat on a bench, despite my efforts I wasn't able to get her to crack a genuine smile. We stared at the sky when Maria started talking. 

**Maria: "** If none of this was going on then what would you have done with Terry, you told me about the other universes and the mark but you never told me what you were intending to do with him..**"**

" I was instructed by my universe twelve self to find the others and afterward I would report back, to which he would tell me to wait.**"**

**Maria: "** But why couldn't he find them himself?**"**

" He was said to have important matters to attend to, he didn't say what they were but he gave me feathers that I could use to travel to the other universes. but I lost it in the ocean **"**

**Maria: "** Then how do you intend to get back?**"**

" I could find the feather or use my superspeed to travel through the universes until I get back to my universe but that takes insane amounts of energy. So it would be best to find the feather.**" **

**Maria: "** How long have you been doing this?**"**

" A year, it only took so long because I would go back to my universe and wait until I was ready to go into another universe. And when I went to the other universes something was going on when I visited my other counterparts, so I just offered my assistance in whatever was going on, but the difference is those situations were dealt with within a matter of days.**"**

**Maria: "** And you've been here a lot longer, your friends back in your world must be worried.**" **Maria looked down at the floor, she looked upset. Was it something I said? I heard a loud rumble noise coming from her. She started to blush in embarrassment.

" I know a good coffee shop we can go to that also sells sandwiches.**"**

**Maria: "** Just take me to eat already.**"**

**Later**

Maria and I walked over to the same coffee shop Thea and I went to. Once there I ordered some coffee and some sandwiches, most of which got eaten by Maria. With her hunger satisfied she became a bit more talkative.

**Maria: "** This doesn't change anything.**"**

" Huh?**"**

**Maria: "** I hate you,**"** I didn't say anything, I sat and listened.

**Maria: "** I spent eight years trying to keep Terry safe, and you show and expose everyone on this island to the supernatural. It's only going to be a matter of time before the rest of the world finds out. And once they do...Terry will be hunted by everyone and be forced to relieve the pain he once felt by his father, but this pain will be brought by everyone in this world.**"**

" What about you?**"**

**Maria: "** I am the last of my kind, it doesn't matter what happens to me.**"**

" Last of your kind?**"**

**Maria: "**When I first arrived here on this planet I was only a teenager, I escaped the destruction of my planet and came here hoping that I would find refuge, but the first mouse I met was Terry's father. The things he did to me, I had to endure years of suffering, whenever I saw a mouse I knew to expect another round of pain. Then one day I saw a young mouse being forced into a cell across from mine.**"**

" Terry.**"**

**Maria: "** Yes, at first I believed they were going to have me eat him, I tried to speak to him but he was afraid of me, but slowly I convinced him that I meant no harm. I would later learn why they put him there. They dragged us out of both of our cells and put us in a room where they tortured us, but for him, the pain was worse.**"**

" They had no problem hurting a kid, how old was he?**" **

**Maria: "** He was four years old.**"**

" Four years old!**"**

**Maria: " **He had to endure all that pain for six years, but when he was eight we met Alden, who had snuck in to see what was being kept in the holding cells. When he saw us I thought he was going to take us to Terry's father but he didn't which confused me. He was spooked by me but he was shocked by Terry in a cell. After I told what was going on he was horrified and it was there where he let loose that Terry was the son of the mouse who has been hurting us for years. Alden promised that he would get us out but we needed to wait for the right moment. Well, that moment came two years later, and it was during the escape where we met Matt.**"**

" It was Terry's father who made you hate all mice. And I'm assuming because of how long you had to wait you have some resentment towards Matt and Alden.**"**

**Maria: "** I don't hate them, I'm just angry that I had to wait so long, and with all the pain Terry and I went through it's very difficult to give mice a chance.**"**

" And I didn't do you any favors by making a scene.**"**

**Maria: "** Eric has been pulling the strings since he saw you and Ares fell from the sky so I'm not sure if all the blame falls entirely onto you. By the way, how were you going to show up?**"**

" I had planned to come to this world in a more stealthful manner, and try to find Terry without causing a scene, but Ares ruined that plan.**"**

**Maria: "** From what you told me about him, he believes that his sword is here. And since he's working with Eric then we can safely say that the sword is here but Eric is going to give Ares his sword back when thinks its the right time, and that worries me because if that sword is as strong as you said it is then the world may soon learn about the powerful beings that live in this world and their reaction is what scares me.**"**

Maria stared out the window after she told her and Terry's story. The question of why Terry's father would do this was the only thing in my mind. The only mouse who can answer why Eric was so cruel to his son is Terry but with him encased in a diamond that answer wouldn't be coming anytime soon. After paying for the meal Maria and I went back to the cave. Along the way, Maria started talking about Thea. 

**Maria: "** So that girl you've been with since you got here, why isn't she with you?**"**

" You mean Thea?**"**

**Maria: "** If that's her name then yes, where is she?**" **

I told her about Maria that I was planning to see Thea but I got interrupted. She picked up on my nervousness when I talked about Thea and asked what was going on. When I told her how I felt, she looked disappointed and started to talk.

**Maria: "** If you do like her then you should act on it, I can understand why someone like you wouldn't want to get close to someone but what you need to understand is that there's no worse fate than being alone. It sounds odd coming from me but my point is you should have people in your life. I have Terry, and I haven't done a good job expressing how I feel for having him and Matt, Alden in my life. So I will try to better express my gratitude towards them.**" **

Maria asked me to leave her alone to think and that I should see Thea. Thinking about what she said I realized she was right. For years I let the people I lost isolate me from everyone when I look at Maria and when I think of what happened to Terry, I see people who lost a great deal and had suffered, but they have people who want to help them move back into the light. Perhaps it's time I start doing the same. 

I headed over to the hospital and asked the receptionist for Thea's room number but I was told that she was let go earlier today. I was glad to hear that she was good enough to go home so I quickly made my way over there. When I arrived I knocked on the door but got no response. The sun was starting to set so I spent a few minutes thinking about what I was going to say to her. As I waited I thought if Thea would even be happy to see me but that wasn't until Trap showed up.

**Trap: "** Arthur is that you please let it be you!**"** Trap said, sounding very stressed. I removed my hoodie to let him see that it was me. When he realized that it was me he ran up and hugged tightly.

" Trap it's good to see you too but why are you hugging me?**" **Trap let go and told me we needed to get Geronimo's house as fast as possible. The look in eyes gave me a bad feeling so I grabbed his arm and teleported us both to Geronimo's house where he had been waiting for us.As soon as Geronimo saw me he started telling me what happened. When I heard Thea was abducted again I wasn't sure how to feel, I felt like keeping my distance would keep her safe but I was wrong once again. The memories of my conversation with Alden, Matt, and Maria about Terry's father Eric, and how he and his minions like to mess with those they target rushed through my mind. Rather than get sad I got serious, I was going to get her back. I told Geronimo about who abducted her and Geronimo told me that the ones who took her were mice from Thea's past. Geronimo asked about the tracking abilities I had mentioned when we first met. I told him that one of my tracking abilities could work but I would need a photo of the person I am looking for. Geronimo rushed into his house and got a photo of Thea. When he came back he gave me a photo of him and Thea at what looked like a graduation ceremony because Thea was wearing a graduation uniform. Using my power I was able to see that Thea was in a dimly lit place with her captors, who were hurting her. I told Geronimo about the place she was in but it wasn't good enough. I asked Geronimo to take me to the police station where she was abducted and I could begin finding her. 

He took me to the police station and had cops rushing in and out. Thea's captors wouldn't have taken her out through the front door, they must have gotten her out through some other means. I told Geronimo to stay back while I looked for her but he was insistent that he come along. It was going to be dangerous but rather than argue with him I let him come along. I told him to grab my shoulder and not to let go, he did so without hesitation and I used my invisibility to make us both invisible. Once invisible we headed into the building where I Geronimo led me to the room where Thea was abducted. After arriving the place was sealed off but that wouldn't matter. Using my echo ability I saw what happened through echoes of the mice that were here. I saw the echoes of two mice who looked dressed in janitor outfits walking into the room and walking out with someone in a bag. No doubt it was Thea in that bag so we followed to the outside. Once out of the building I made us visible again. We saw the echoes of janitors take Thea out of the bag and put her into the back of a vehicle but not before removing her clothes and driving away with her. I had to follow the echoes but I had to leave Geronimo behind because it was going to get dangerous and I didn't want another mouse getting hurt. 

**Geronimo: "** So where did they go?**" **

" I'm sorry Geronimo but I can't risk you getting hurt so I for your safety I'm afraid this is where you get off.**" **I moved Geronimo's paw off my shoulder and quickly used my warp gate to take Geronimo back to his home. He'll be mad at me for sending him home but I can't risk his safety against mice who are always a few steps ahead of us. I had to quickly follow the echoes so using my invisibility and my jet ability I chased the echos undetected. 

The echoes led me to the coffee shop me and Maria ate earlier today which shocked me. Thea was in front of the shop being held against her will and here I was eating and drinking. I noticed the echoes of the mice walking past the vehicle didn't bat an eye to her. I thought that maybe the glass on the vehicle was very dark or one-sided. I walked up to the echo of the vehicle and peeked inside of it. I saw Thea's echo desperately trying to free herself from her binds all the while looking like she desperately tried to get someone's attention...my attention. The echoes of her captors entered the van and I witnessed one they pour a cup of coffee onto Thea's feet, burning her. Enraged I watched as they drove away to continue my pursuit. 

I made the echoes move faster so that I could find her quicker and the chase led me to a part of the city that looked somewhat rundown. Thrash littered the streets and the mice that walked around didn't look like the friendliest bunch. I saw the mice take Thea into an abandoned building, and after making myself visible I followed the echoes into the building. I followed them to a room, once the echoes faded into the room I knew the time was now. My anger over what they could have been doing to her made me want to hurt them, but I can't because they are regular mice so the best I could do was subdue them as fast as possible. But my anger would subside and in my rage, I used an ability that allows me to turn my blood into a weapon. With wings, and tails made of blood I flew out of the building through a window and charged at the building and brought down the wall in the room Thea was being held at. 

**Thea: "** Armmmph**"** Thea was gagged so I couldn't hear what she was saying but I did see the state she was in. I quickly used my tails to cut the chains holding Thea up and I grabbed her before she hit the floor. She was in tears and when she looked at me I saw relief in her eyes. My attention changed to the mice who were holding her captive, they were trying to make a break for it but I stopped them with my tails, I smashed their heads together knocking them out. Turning back to Thea I used my healing abilities on her, I put in a lot of energy to speed up her recovery and After a few seconds she was fully healed, and despite how my blood ability made me look she hugged me and began to cry again. The only thing I could do was try and comfort her. She tried to speak but we both realized that the gag on her wasn't removed which got a slight laugh out of us. Once the gag was removed Thea through a pained voice and with tears once again starting to stream down her face could only say one thing as she held onto me.

**Thea: "** I wanna go home.**" **

**Night**

**Thea's house**

I brought Thea back to her home where she invited me in. She went to shower while I sat on her couch. After a few minutes she came out in a robe and offered me something to drink but I declined, I was more worried about how she was feeling. 

" Thea, do you want to talk?**"** The whole room was silent, I wasn't sure what to say. After what she'd gone through, she probably needed some time to herself. Those thoughts were dashed when she next to me and started crying onto my shoulder.

**Thea: "** Why did you leave?**"**

" I believed that you and the others would be safer if I stayed away.**"**

**Thea: "** Why would you think that?**"**

" Because I was scared I don't like seeing the people I care about get hurt.**"**

**Thea: "** And you think staying away and being alone is going to somehow fix that.**?"**

" I don't know what else to do, I care about you and I'm scared that I won't be able to save you. And no matter what I do you're in danger either way and I don't know what to do.**"**

**Thea: "** I care about you too, and it hurts to see you carry all this weight by yourself. You aren't helping yourself by feeling like everything depends on you. I knew what the dangers we're going to be because as someone who reports the news you never know what's going to happen when you tackle a story. There are dangers like getting involved with the wrong mice who are going to want to stop you by hurting you or the ones closest to you. Which is why I am grateful for having mice in life who are willing to help me, which includes you, Arthur.**" **

" Me?**"**

**Thea: "** Yes you, you're the only mouse who helps us get out of this thing alive. And for that I am grateful that there are mice like you out there, and I am also grateful that I got to meet you, but I got to know more than just a mouse with powers, I got to know you as Arthur.**"**

" And I am glad I got to know you.**"**

**Thea: "** But I kept asking you to tell me about yourself and you grew to trust me with some very personal stuff but you never once asked me to talk about myself so how can you say that you know me.**"**

" You pulled me from the ocean, took me to a hospital and gave me a place to rest when I was unconscious and you're willing to stick with me despite all that has happened, that tells me you are a kind, caring mouse who never leaves a friend behind. Your actions throughout my time with you say enough already so you don't have to get personal with me.**"** Thea wiped the tears away from her eyes and we both looked at each other.

**Thea: "** You mean that?**"**

" Of course, remember I can't lie.**"**

**Thea: "** hehe...that's right you can't**" **

" Yeah and that way you can know I mean what I am going to say next.**"**

**Thea: "** What?**"**

" I love you.**"** Thea looked away in embarrassment which was cute to see but the expression she gave when she looked back at me said she was one of regret. 

**Thea: "** But I told Courtney everything about you, yet you still find it in your heart to say that.**"**

" I don't blame you for that, I told you all that because I trust you so don't think you betrayed that trust. Besides, throughout these past few days, I learned some things about Courtney and the mice she's working with.**"**

**Thea: "** Like what?**"**

" You've already been through a lot so I am not going to add more to it, but my point is that I don't blame you for anything. I'll tell you about it later okay.**"**

**Thea: "** Okay.**"** She said hesitantly. She moved her paw on to my cheek and blushed.

**Thea: "** Why do you admit you love me now?**"**

" My time away from you made me learn a few things but the biggest thing I realized is that I saw you more as a friend, and rather than keep those feelings hidden I should just be forward with them, even if you don't share them.**"**

**Thea: "** Did you forget that I confessed first.**"**

" That's right...you did.**"**

**Thea: "** I love you, Arthur.**"**

" I love you, Thea.**" **We leaned in and our lips met in a passionate kiss, our eyes closed and we wrapped our arms around each other. As long as we had each other things were going to be fine. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer from chapters still apply**

**Chapter 8: Terry**

**Morning **

**Thea's house**

**Thea's P.O.V**

I felt the sunshine on my eyes, I moved my head so the sun won't burn my eyes once I open them. While moving my head I felt like I was on something fuzzy, and warm. Opening my eyes I saw that I was comfortably snuggled up beside Arthur, I slowly got up to not wake him up. He looked so peaceful while sleeping. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me, greeting me with a warm smile. 

**Arthur: "** Morning Thea.**"**

" Morning Arthur.**" **He got up from the couch and stretched, his back was to me and I could see the mark on his back. Guess he didn't mind me looking at it anymore. Our kiss brought us closer but thinking back to it I wondered what Geronimo would say if he found out. Thinking of Geronimo I wondered what happened and how he was doing.

" Arthur, do you know what happened to Geronimo?**"**

**Arthur: "** Don't worry Thea, he's safe at home, anyway if you want I could tell you about what I learned during my time away from you.**" **

" You could tell me after breakfast, but for now you need a bath. As fuzzy and warm as you are you haven't showered since you left me at the airport.**"**

**Arthur: "** A shower sounds very nice and you don't have to worry about getting me new clothes, I'll just make some.**"**

**Later**

I made Arthur breakfast while he showered, after a few minutes he came out of the bathroom wearing casual clothing, a grey shirt, and blue shorts. When he walked into the kitchen he saw the food that I made for him, just regular eggs and bacon along with a cup of coffee. While he ate I couldn't help but feel odd by this whole thing. I looked at my paws to see if there was a ring on one of my fingers but there wasn't which was a bit disappointing. It felt like we were married but seeing that we weren't relieved a bit because it was way too early for that, I mean we did only become a couple just last night. 

When he finished I sat right next to him and kissed him on the cheek while hugging him. It was a sweet moment but we wouldn't be able to have more of those unless we dealt with the matter that has plagued us for months. I asked Arthur to tell me what he had learned throughout his time away from me and I was shocked to know what some of those monsters that Arthur fought in the streets of the city were, but what horrified me was knowing what Terry and his guardian Maria went through.

" How can anyone do such horrible things to their kid,**"**

**Arthur: "** I don't know but I believe that but in Terry's current state he won't be talking anytime soon.**" ** If Terry doesn't want to come out, then we'll just have to find some way to stop his father and get him and his minions out of our island, but we didn't know we're on our island he was and he was always a step ahead. 

**Arthur: "** We also need to keep in mind that Terry's father has Ares in his pocket and with someone like that on his side, it only makes him more dangerous, especially since the sword Ares made is in Terry's father's possession.**"** He's right about that, nothing is Stopping Terry's dad from handing the sword to Ares so the fact that he hasn't done it yet says that he has something planned which is not good for us.

The mood was getting a bit gloomy so to lighten up the mood I asked Arthur to look at me so I could kiss him. It worked because his face went red and we hugged and I assured him that things were going to be fine. We heard a knock on the door and Arthur went to open it, I went with him to see who it was. He opened the door and standing in front of him was Geronimo and Hercule. When they both saw me in a rob and holding on to Arthur's arm they were confused, they looked like they had forgotten why they were here and were more intrigued by what they were seeing. Geronimo was quick to snap out of it and breathe a sigh of relief. 

**Geronimo: "** Thea, I am glad you're safe.**"**

" Yeah, Arthur saved me.**" **Geronimo looked at Arthur and gave him a slightly angry look.

**Geronimo: "** While I am not happy that you ditched me, I am grateful that you brought my sister back safely.**"**

**Hercule: " **Yeah and I see that you and she must be close.**"** He said while looking at my arm wrapped around one of Arthur's arms. I invited them all in so we could talk, I remembered him and Kornelius talking about the things I said on the night of the incident, could this be why he was here? If he was then I was worried about what he might say about Arthur.

There was a bit of awkward tension between Geronimo and Arthur, the tension grew when Hercule got right to questioning Arthur. 

**Hercule: "** So, you're that mouse with the powers?**" **Arthur found it somewhat humorous to be discovered. I don't why he found it that way, it could have just been a way to lift some of the tension.

**Arthur: "** What gave me away?**"**

**Hercule: "** I saw your face in the broadcast, and I had a feeling that Courtney's death was odd which made me think that this whole situation wasn't over, plus she said that Thea told her all your secrets and someone who knew personal information about a mouse with powers wouldn't just kill themselves after having their plans foiled, especially with what we all saw happen on that night. And I figured you'd still be on the island probably for the same reason I had, and since you trusted Thea with your secrets I assumed that you would be watching over her..**"**

**Arthur: "** Nice guesswork but there's more to the story.**"**

**Hercule: "** I had a feeling there was more going on.**"**

**Arthur: "** So what now?**"**

**Hercule: "** Well I would like to offer my thanks for saving me and friends, I for sure thought I would never be able to go home again. And while I have to say seeing a mouse with powers does raise a lot of questions, you don't seem like a bad guy, after all, Thea seems to like you, so you're okay in my book.**"**

**Geronimo: "** By the way what happened to the mice that took Thea?**" **Geronimo said, turning to me.

" Well it's a long story.**"**

**Hercule: "** Don't worry Thea, we're all here for you, but if it's okay I would like to know more about what's going on here.**"**

**Arthur: "** Fine, I'll tell you but there's only so much I can say.**"**

**Hercule: "** I'll take what you could give me. Oh, I forgot to mention my name is Hercule, and I am New Mouse City's best detective.**" **Hercule stated proudly.

**Arthur: " **I am Arthur, a hero from another world.**" **Arthur also stated proudly. That last part stunned Hercule.

**Hercule: "** Excuse me what now?**" **he said stunned.

**Later**

Arthur didn't tell the whole story again, he kept it short and to the point. We explained what we had learned about the mice that have caused the city trouble, but Arthur didn't say anything about Terry and Maria. Probably because he didn't want to bring too many mice to their attention, either way the information was still enough to satisfy Hercule.

**Geronimo: "** So Courtney is still alive.**"**

**Hercule: ** And I was right this whole thing isn't over yet, she and this Max character along with their boss have something planned for later if they are keeping this Ares guy around.**"**

" By the way I've been meaning to ask if Kornelius is okay?**"**

**Hercule: "** He's fine, he's in the hospital for his foot injury but once he's recovered he'll come to help. I'll head over to the hospital and tell him the information you guys gave me. If we're going to get out of this mess then we're going to need all the help we can get.**"**

**Arthur: "** If Ares gets his paws on that sword then we'll have bigger problems.**"**

**Hercule: "** By the way how do you intend on getting Ares back to your world?**"**

**Arthur: "** With something called the Wanderers feather but I lost it in my fight with Ares. It's either somewhere on the island or somewhere at sea.**" **Arthur said, slightly embarrassed.

**Geronimo: " **Can you find it again by sensing its energy. If it has the power to take to other worlds then shouldn't it emit energy that can be detected.?**"**

**Arthur: "** It does.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Really, well if it does, why haven't you gone on to find it?**" **

**Arthur: "** I can't sense it.**" **

**Geronimo: "** If you can't sense it then how are you going to find it?**"**

**Arthur: "** I may have an idea about where it maybe.**" **I think he and I had the same idea, the forest near the cave that Terry is hidden in is somehow able to hide energy, So if he can't sense it then it must be there somewhere.

**Geronimo: "** Well any idea is a good one if it means you can find it.**" **Hercule nodded in agreement.

Geronimo turned to me and asked me to take him to my room so we could discuss some things in private. I didn't know what he wanted to discuss but I agreed to walk with him. While walking away from Arthur, Hercule started to ask him about his powers, he was being a bit of a nerd about it too which was fun. As for me and Geronimo I wasn't sure if being away from Arthur was a good idea so I instead opted to speak with my brother in the hallway that led to my room. I could still see Arthur and Arthur could see us, It was just if something happened then Arthur would be able to react. Geronimo lowered his voice so that the others wouldn't hear him. 

**Geronimo: " **Thea I want to talk about you and Arthur.**"**

" What about us?**" **I whispered

**Geronimo: "** Well, I saw how you held on to his arm and when I asked to speak to you in private you looked nervous, so I am wondering what happened last night?**" **I didn't want to talk about the events of last night, I didn't want to be reminded, but seeing my brother's worried look I knew he was going to keep asking, it's his job as an older sibling to look out for the younger siblings.

" When they took me, they tortured me**," **I said lowering my head. I told him what they did to me which left my brother speechless.

" Arthur came and saved me and healed my injuries, he took me home where he comforted me, after which we confessed our feelings for each other and kissed.**" **Geronimo looked somewhat surprised to hear that last part, guess he kinda had a feeling that Arthur and I were getting closer, and perhaps Pandora's teasing helped him settle with the idea. He gave me a warm hug before speaking again.

**Geronimo: " **I am happy that Arthur was able to heal the physical injuries, but know that the others and I are also here to help you get over the memories of what happened. As for you and Arthur being an item, Just be careful okay, all this supernatural stuff has been taking its toll on me so knowing you want to get closer to somebody who is part of the supernatural has got me a little uneasy since I don't know what's going to happen, but if he makes you happy then I'll be as supportive as I can.**"**

" Thanks, Geronimo.**" **We hugged before walking back to Hercule and Arthur who were getting along well. I sat beside Arthur and held his paw, we still had a job to do and that is to save our city. 

Arthur had been demonstrating his powers to Hercule for a couple of minutes when there was a knock at the door. Geronimo went to go and answer. Opening the door he was surprised to see that the mouse who was there was king Mu of Whiskeriastan. 

**Geronimo: "** Oh, King Mu, what a surprise to see you here.**" **Geronimo said, confused.

I could see the king from where I sat, I told Arthur to stay seated while I went to greet the king. At the door, the king looked very happy to see me and I was glad to see that he was okay. 

**King Mu: "** It's good to see you today, you're looking as beautiful as ever.**"**

" It's good to see you king Mu, but what are you doing here?**"**

**King Mu: " **two reasons, one, I wanted to see my friends. And two, I came to ask for your help.**"**

" Need our help with what?**"**

**King Mu: "** I need your help to get home, the plane I arrived in was destroyed during the night of the incident. And I am worried about my subjects back home.**"**

The King and the princess have been here for months, I did wonder what was going over in Whiskeriastan. Surely they would have that something was wrong when the king and his sister never came back.

**Geronimo: "** We'd love to help out, unfortunately, our ship the Metamouse was also destroyed during the incident. I'm sorry.**"** Geronimo said sadly. We wanted to help our friend but without the Metamouse how could we?

Then it hit me, even though we don't have the Metamouse, we could still help king Mu get home. We have Arthur to help us. I was worried though, I didn't know how Mu would react to seeing Arthur. Him being back in the city is concerning enough but letting mice come and see him for help, I might as well let the whole city know he's here, but Mu was our friend and I did want to know what is going on over in Whiskeriastan, so I made my decision.

" King Mu, I believe I know someone who could help, but I need a minute so I could speak to him.**"**

**King Mu: "** No problem Thea, if he can help then that's great news.**"**

I excused myself and let Geronimo talk to him. Arthur was still sitting on the couch, I sat right next to him and told him of my friend's problem. 

**Arthur: "** Don't worry Thea, I'll help your friend.**" **I hugged him and called for Geronimo to let me into the house. 

When he walked he took a minute to admire how my house looked on the inside.

**King Mu: "** You have an amazing house here Thea.**"**

" Thanks.**"**

**King Mu: "** So these are the mice who are going to help me get home.**" **He said while looking at Arthur and Hercule.

" Oh no not both of them, the one in the yellow outfit is Hercule, he's a detective. The one mouse with regular clothes is the one who is going to help you get home. His name is Arthur.**"**

King Mu looked at Arthur and they both introduced themselves. But Mu began to look at Arthur suspiciously.

**King Mu: "** Say you look familiar somehow.**"**

**Arthur: "** Really? How so?**" ** I started to get nervous.

**King Mu: "** Yeah, back during the night of the incident, I was among all those mice that were getting beaten up but someone saved us, and healed our injuries. Your him aren't you?**"**

**Arthur: "** I am.**" **Geronimo and I looked at each other unsure of what was going to happen next.

**King Mu: "** Well in that case I would like to say my thanks for saving me and my sister's lives.**" ** He said while doing a full bow. After standing up straight again he started to explain himself.

**King Mu: "** You have no idea what my captors did to me and my sister. On that night I believed that it would be my last night alive but you came saved us, not only that but you finally put an end to our months of suffering. That is why I am grateful for what you've done. That is also why I am here, you helped me once, now I am asking for help in getting me and my sister home.**"**

**Arthur: "** Don't worry, I'll help you get home.**" **

King Mu expressed how grateful he was by bowing again. But things took a sudden shift when Geronimo asked king Mu a question.

**Geronimo: "** By the way King Mu, how is Princess Yasmin?**"**

The king stood silent for a moment before speaking. Princess Yasmin was still in the hospital, while physically she looked okay, her mental state was anything but okay. She would often wake up in the middle of the night screaming and when the doctors tried to calm her down she would violently attack them, so they had to strap her down. She wasn't the only patient to have acted out like that, many of the other girls who were taken to the hospital did similar things.

I remember the night after I came to the hospital, there was an incident where one of the female patients who was one of the abducted victims violently bit one of the doctors who was trying to help put her to sleep for the night since she was refusing to. The doctor almost part of his wrist but the injury was still pretty bad. There were other moments with other patients, so I knew what Mu was talking about. 

" If Yasmin was still in the hospital then are you going to leave her here while you go back home?**"**

**King Mu: "** I have no intention of leaving my sister behind, I just wanted to find a way home before, so on the day I can take my sister home, I would have gotten us the means to do so.**"**

**Hercule: "** Hey Arthur, can't you help these girls. If you could help us then surely you could help them by healing them right?**" **

**Arthur: "** I would but my healing abilities only heal physical damages, mental trauma is something that I can't heal.**"** Arthur said, looking upset.

" Don't worry Arthur, I'm sure there's something we could do to help them.**"**

**King Mu: "** I hope so, anyway I am going to visit her in the hospital.**"**

" We're going to, we want to see how she and our other friends are doing in the hospital as well.**" **The others nodded in agreement. So to the hospital, we went. 

**New Mouse City Hospital**

**Noon**

**Thea's P.O.V**

We all went to the hospital. Along the way we King Mu asked Arthur questions about his powers and gladly answered. Benjamin and Pandora were with Trap at Geronimo's house. I decided to go and see them when this trip to the hospital is over. Arthur made himself a sweater with a hoodie that covered most of his head. As long as he had something to cover himself with then it shouldn't be a bother.

Being in the hospital again reminded me of the events of that, I was starting to get nervous, but that wasn't the only reason. Susie Shuttermouse, my best friend, was in here after being gone for months. I had been making plans to visit here when I could but a sense of guilt hit me every time I thought of it. I could only imagine what they did to her, I remember hearing one of the things they did to her but that was only one thing, what else they did to her I could only imagine. I felt like I hadn't done enough to help her, that I had failed her as a friend, It only made me more nervous to go and see her, what kind of state of mind would she be in? I didn't know but I had my friends and my boyfriend with me so I felt better knowing they were by my side. Both Geronimo and King Mu had mice that they cared about so they may feel the same way I do.

Geronimo, went to go and see Petunia, while King Mu went to go and see his sister. While Arthur and I went to see Susie. I stood in front of the door to her room unsure about whether or not to go through it but Arthur held my paw and assured me it was going to be okay. I opened the door gently and there we saw Susie on her bed. She looked normal, but seeing how her arms and legs were strapped to the bed I could tell her mental state was anything but normal. She was awake but looked unaware of her surroundings, she looked dizzy. Did the doctors inject her with something? I sat next to her and stared at her, what could I say to her. That I'm sorry for not doing enough to help her, that I wasn't the good friend that she thought I was because while I got to go home every night and sleep on my warm bed, she probably had god knows what done to her throughout all that time I was looking for her. Arthur noticed how I was feeling and hugged me assuring that he was here for me should I ever need him. He may be here for me but I wasn't there for her.

" I don't know what to do Arthur.**"**

**Arthur: "** You did everything you could Thea.**"**

" But I am not the one who saved her, you did.**"**

**Arthur: "** But that doesn't change the fact that you spent months trying to save her and the others who were taken, it may have taken a while and some unusual things happening that played a part in you getting your friend back, but you and your brother did more for her and all the other victims then I did. I was merely a pawn in some game that treated all the victims as prizes if I won. If I hadn't shown up maybe things would have played out differently, but now is not the time to worry about what if's. She is here now and you should focus on what you can do for her going forward.**" **

" You're right, I may not have been the one to save her, but I still did everything in my power to try to get her back. And now that she's here, all I can do is wait for her to recover. I may not know what they did to her but seeing her like this and with what you told me about the ones who did this to her, It gives me all the more reason to help to stop Eric and his followers from hurting anyone else. And to also help you in any way I can to take down Ares.**" **

**Arthur: "** Both Ares and Eric seem to have some kind of partnership, although not sure if I could call it that given what happened after I fought him.**"**

" Either way, we need to stop them both. And our best lead to them is Terry, who is currently encased in diamonds.**"**

**Arthur: "** While Terry's guardians let me go and see them, I'm probably going to have to make sure that his guardians are okay with letting others see Terry.**" **

" Think you could take me to see them today?**"**

**Arthur: "** I could, but as I said I am going to have to convince them to let you see Terry, well I am going to have to convince one of them to let me bring you to see him.**"**

" That's fine. I don't want to force her to let me see him. I'll wait and see what you can do.**"** Before I left Susie, I made a promise to her that I would be back to check on her every chance I got.

Geronimo was sitting on a chair outside of Susie's room. When he saw us leave the room he got up to talk to us.

**Geronimo: " **So, how is she?**"** Geronimo said worriedly.

" She's awake but she's been drugged, so she isn't aware of her surroundings. She probably didn't know we were there. How about you, How's Petunia?**"**

**Geronimo: "** She was awake but I wasn't allowed to sit next to her since doctors were afraid she'd panic and lash out. I did have a conversation with her but I didn't ask her any questions revolving around what happened to her, since that would probably get to her to panic.**"**

**Arthur: "** They look normal, but their mental state is anything but, the only thing we can do is wait for them to recover from the trauma.**" **

Arthur was right, but we could be there for our friends to help them. We were going to walk out of the hospital to go and get something to eat when we saw Simon Squealer. When he approached us I was getting ready to grab Arthur and leave but he stopped in front of us to speak to Arthur.

**Simon: "** Hey Arthur, good to see you.**"**

I was taken back by that, how does he know his name? I was about to say something when Arthur responded.

**Arthur: "** I've been doing okay, how about you?**"**

**Simon: "** Fine, I'm just here to see Sally.**"**

**Geronimo: "** How is Sally if I may ask?**"**

**Simon: "** She's been getting better. Since she wasn't held captive for long, she may be let out earlier than the others.**"** Simon said sincerely.

**Geronimo: "** Well give her my regards.**"**

**Simon: "** I will.**"** Simon looked at me and I was giving him a very distrusting look, which made him bring the conversation short.

**Simon: "** Well I don't want to take any more of your time so I'll be going.**"** With that, he left to go see Sally. 

" Since when did you and Simon become buddies?**"**

**Arthur: "** I'll tell you about it later, right now I think we should get going. I don't think it's polite to stand in the middle of the hallway while doctors and nurses are moving about.**"**

**Coffee Shop**

**Afternoon**

Geronimo insisted we eat at a coffee shop, which was the same one me and Arthur usually eat at. I was a bit uncomfortable with the idea, the coffee hurt me when those mice who took me poured some on my feet, there was also the fact that Arthur was dining in the shop with another woman, who I later found out was Maria. I tried getting Arthur's attention but nothing I did work. I was hesitant to go in but Arthur held my paw, I held his paw tightly and he kissed me on the cheek. 

**Arthur: "** It's okay Thea, I'm here now and I won't let anyone take you again.**" **The love he had for me made me feel better, enough to go into the shop and eat.

We were enjoying the food and coffee when Geronimo began talking to Arthur about our relationship.

**Geronimo: "** Arthur, my sister tells me that you and she are now a couple.**"** Arthur stopped drinking his coffee and looked worried. Did he think my brother wouldn't approve of it?

**Geronimo: "** I had a feeling that you and my sister were getting too close, and Pandora's teasing also helped me settle with the idea that you and my sister would become more than friends. But Thea and I already talked about it back at her house, So what I want to say is please protect her. Since she's placed her trust and is willing to give her love to you then I will be as supportive as I can, since what I want to see is my sister happy. So promise me that you'll protect her and never do anything to hurt her.**"** Geronimo said with a very serious voice. Arthur looked at my brother with the same kind level of seriousness as my brother's tone.

**Arthur: "** I promise, I love Thea, I will show that I am worthy of both that love and trust she's giving me.**" ** Arthur said looking at me. His words were so sweet I couldn't help but give him a big kiss.

**Geronimo: "** Well, I have to go and see Benjamin and Pandora, I left them with Trap. So while I go and see them, the two of you go and have spent the day together. Don't worry about me interrupting, just enjoy yourselves.**"**

Geronimo paid for the food and drinks before leaving. It was now just Arthur and I. We left the coffee shop and took a walk back to my house. We held paws through the way back home, it felt different walking home while holding someone's paw all the way there. Along the way we discussed going to see Terry today. If we were going to see him then Arthur should take me to see him when nobody is watching. We don't let anyone freak out from seeing Arthur use his powers. So until then we just enjoyed our walk home together. 

**Unknown location**

**Eric P.O.V**

Things have gone better than I could have hoped. The data I received will help us a great deal, and the information we receive from that special correspondent was quite overwhelming. As much as I would like to look into it, these other universes pose a lot of risks, she only told us that they were other universes but she didn't have any information about how they were like. So it is best to put aside that for now because I am currently on something else at the moment. Although that special correspondent did say something about this Arthur fellow taking the role as a mentor to Terry if true then I could be very beneficial for us. I must say though, knowing what that mark on Terry's back means and how it came to be, it only confirms what I had suspected. But I should put aside these thoughts for now and get back to focusing on the task in front of me. 

I had gone to see Ares who was currently in a cell. Hopefully now he would be more willing to accept my offer. As soon as I opened the door he rushed me but the barrier stopped him in his tracks.

**Ares: "** What do you want?**"** Ares said getting back up.

Ares had not been given a chance to recover from his injuries, it's the reason why his appearance was so grotesque. But he still has the strength to try and attack me. Should've expected that from a powerful being. If I had tried to capture him if he was at full power then it would most definitely have failed. So I am quite lucky to have found him the way I did. Even then keeping under control has proven very difficult. But I believe the offer I gave him should at least convince him to do one more thing for me. There's not much left to do now. 

" Will you finally accept my offer?**"**

**Ares: "** Just what is it you want?**"**

" I need to collect data.**"**

**Ares: "** Haven't you collected enough?**"**

" The data I have collected was on Arthur and all the fights he's been in. This time I want to collect data on both him and my son Terry.**"**

**Ares: "** Why do you need me for?**"**

" The weapon you created all those years ago was filled with the energy of all those who fought during a time of war is that correct?**"**

**Ares: "** What are you getting at?**"**

" I'm saying I want you to use the negative energy from your sword to corrupt Terry and force him to fight Arthur.**"**

**Ares: "** And what will I gain from doing this?**"**

" Complete this task and I shall make sure you are restored to full power and as a bonus I shall return your sword, and your freedom.**"**

**Ares: "** Even if I did corrupt him, he's most likely going to destroy the whole island.**"**

" Figured you might say that, but you need not concern yourself with that, I've got it all figured out.**"**

**Thea's House**

**Thea P.O.V**

I never worried about walking home by myself, but walking home with my boyfriend felt very embarrassing. Holding paws and having people look at us as we walked down the street, though it could mostly be because of how big Arthur's hoodie was. When we arrived home we sat on the couch discussing what we will do next. Arthur could teleport us to the cave since he didn't have the coordinates, guess it pays to have abilities that are very similar to each other. The problem though was whether or not it was a good idea to leave me alone while Arthur went to talk with Terry's guardians. Given my experiences with being left alone I wasn't entirely up for the idea, but if Ares can obtain his sword again then we're going to need all the help we can get. 

**Arthur: "** Matt, and Alden won't have a problem with you, but it's Maria, I'm worried about.**"**

" I don't blame her for not wanting to trust anyone, but how else can I prove that I mean no harm if I don't go to convince her myself.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, your right, but stay close to me okay.**"**

" Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything that will upset her. But still, to think a dragon had been living on this island protecting a child superpowers throughout all this time is just unbelievable. It would have been quite the scoop.**" **I said snuggling up beside Arthur. He was adorable when he looked embarrassed.

**Arthur: "** Okay, let's go.**" **He said while we both got up from the couch.

" Okay.**" **

**Arthur: "** Wait hold on.**"** Arthur said looking like he had realized something.

" What is it?**"**

**Arthur: "** Before we go I need to make something first.**"** He put his paws together as he was saying that. His paws glowed with a sparkly pink aura. The next few seconds were just him focusing, I don't know what he was making but it must be important.**"**

**Arthur: "** Terry is currently cased in diamonds, but should he break free or already be free when we get there I need to make sure I don't copy his powers when I get close to him.**"** The glowing finally stopped and Arthur showed what it was. It was a shiny purple curbed bracelet of some kind. 

" What is it?**"**

**Arthur: "** This bracelet will keep me from copying anybody else's powers, it's a rather difficult thing to make which is why it took a bit but this is a safety precaution.**"**

" But why is it purple, is that how it's supposed to look?**"**

**Arthur: "** I changed the color of it so that it would match the color of yours. Something to remind me of the women who helped me find love again.**"** It was sweet of him to say that I couldn't help but blush. With that taken care of I held Arthur's paw and he teleported us to the cave Terry and his guardians were hiding in.

**Unknown cave**

**Thea's P.O.V**

We appeared before the cave, I was feeling nervous about going in, but we were here to try and get Terry's help but to also help him and his guardian Maria to try and give mice a chance. I held onto Arthur's paw as we went in. Along the way we heard the footsteps of mice coming towards us, and they were coming fast. Arthur quickly moved in front of me and waited, I tried to stay hidden behind him. When the footsteps finally stopped I heard voices recognized. 

**Matt: " **Hey Arthur, good to see that's you.**"**

**Alden: "** But Maria picked up the scents of two mice walking in here together, so who's the other mouse with you.**" **Arthur slightly turned to look at me and assured me that it was okay to show myself.

**Arthur: " **It's okay to come out, it's just Alden and Matt.**"**

I slowly walked beside Arthur and saw the two mice ahead of me wearing some kind of armor, and they had their weapons drawn. Realizing there wasn't any danger they took off their armor, but the armor dissolved into little particles and took the form of bracelets on both their wrists.

**Matt: "** So is this that Thea girl you were talking about?**"**

**Arthur: "** Yes, this is Thea Stilton.**" **

" It's nice to finally have a somewhat proper introduction**," **I said while waving at them.

**Alden: "** It's nice to meet you but why did Arthur bring you along.**"**

We told both Alden, and Matt why we were here.

**Alden: "** It would be good to show Maria that not all mice are bad and that she should at least consider giving mice a chance instead of pushing them away.**"**

**Matt: "** It would be a good opportunity, but don't expect Maria to start opening up by the end of the day.**"**

" Don't worry I won't.**"**

With that Alden and Matt, walked us over to where Maria, and Terry, were at. When we reached them I was blown away by all the diamonds scattered around the area. They were everywhere and they were in so many different colors. When I looked up I saw all the diamond branches that were holding the giant boulders in place, it did worry me a bit, but if the others thought it was safe enough to sleep within the cave then I wouldn't worry too much about, although it is still concerning no matter how you look at it. When I saw the diamonds that Terry was encased in I wanted to get closer to get a better look at Terry, but I recoiled in fear when a dragon dived right in front of us. When it landed on the floor it got to look at us. I couldn't believe what I was looking at, an actual dragon. Its blue eyes were focused on me, I wanted to scream but if I did it would probably attack me. It looked at me like if it dared me to scream, but when it spoke I was surprised to hear how smooth its voice was. So this was Maria? 

**Maria: "** Who is this, and why is she here?**"**

**Later**

Alden, and Matt, spent a few minutes explaining what was going on to Maria in a different spot in the cave, while Arthur stood close to me in the same spot we were in before. Maira walked over to us but in a less threatening manner. As she approached us she began to change. When she reached us she had transformed into a mouse. It was incredible. I wondered if this was thanks to that necklace that Arthur mentioned earlier.

**Maria: "** Sorry about that, anyway Arthur, is this the girl you told me you loved.**"**

**Arthur: "** She is.**"**

**Maria**: **"** She's quite beautiful, I see why you fell in love.**"**

" Hi, My name is Thea Stilton, and you must be Maria.**"**

**Maria: "** It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Arthur mentioned you during our conversation yesterday in that coffee shop.**" **I sawMatt, and Alden, give Maria a thumbs up for attempting to be nice to me. Maria was hesitant about this whole thing but at least she's trying. 

Rather than talk about Terry, I decided it would be better to ease my way into the topic by talking about other things, like the weather or what a dragon likes to eat. It made the encounter begin to look awkward, Maria didn't like being made to interact with the creature's she grew a hatred for. She seemed more willing to speak with Arthur, maybe it was because Arthur reminded her of Terry in some way. Maria didn't seem like the kind who likes to have long talks, so Maria made the conversation short. 

**Maria: "** Why are you here?**"**

**Arthur: "** We came to see Terry.**"**

**Maria: "** Why?**"**

**Arthur: "** You guys mentioned that you have been trying to get Terry out of this cave so we came to help. That's not the only reason we're here though, we also came because we're here to ask for your help.**"**

**Alden: "** Our help with what?**" **Alden said approaching us.

**Arthur: "** We need your help to find and defeat Ares.**"**

Arthur had spent a few minutes telling them what we had talked about and while both Alden, and Matt were willing to help us Maria wasn't entirely sure.

**Maria: "** Ares does pose a threat of his own, especially since he and Eric are working together, but you're asking us to bring Terry into this fight,**"**

" I don't like the idea of putting Terry in danger, but we don't know how long it will be before Eric decides to give Ares his sword back. When that happens I'm not if I'd be strong enough to take him alone.**"**

**Maria: "** That's why you want Terry to help you?**"**

" I remember hearing one of Courtney's minions saying something to Ares back when Courtney's minions tried to mousenap me. They said even though Ares was strong, their boss had broken tougher. And since Terry is the only mouse in this world with powers that we know off then it makes sense that they'd be talking about Terry.**"**

**Matt: "** You're right about that, but even though Terry is strong, he doesn't have any control over his powers.**"**

**Alden: "** It's because of that lack of control, and a few other reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea to make him fight.**"**

**Maria: "** Terry is a strong mouse, but he is already in enough danger as it is, I won't let him do anything if it's going to get him hurt.**"**

With what they said, even if Arthur decided to train Terry, I doubt they would get enough training done to make Terry able to help us should Ares appear again. I worried about how long it would be before he appeared again. I just want to know that if he does appear again then Arthur and these other mice could be able to handle it. I started to feel useless again. What could I do against someone like Ares, a mouse like him would destroy me if I tried to fight him. So knowing I have to stand by and watch while other mice go and deal with it makes me feel useless. I especially feel worse when one of the mice that have to deal with Ares is someone I care about. If he gets hurt then what could I do, I'm worried that if he does appear again then it won't end in a draw. 

**Maria: "** What's wrong?**" **Maria said looking at me.

" Sorry, it's just I couldn't help but feel like I'd only get in the way if I try to help you guys fight Ares.**"**

**Arthur: "** You'd never get in the way, remember what we talked about. If I hadn't fallen from the sky then maybe things would have turned out differently, with you and Geronimo being able to save the others since you would have never given up.**"**

**Maria: "** What would have happened is that she would have gotten captured and killed once Courtney got bored playing with her.**" **Her response caught me off guard.

" What do you mean?**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, surely Thea would have figured something out and found where Courtney was keeping all of her captives.**"**

**Maria: "** No, the only reason why she got as far as she did was that they let her. She and her brother were nothing but a source of entertainment, Courtney treated this whole thing as nothing more than a game. I understand that you love her and want to be optimistic for her, but the reality of it is she never would have been able to find her friends or Courtney. And even if she did, what could she do against her minions, or her pets, pets that you fought days ago. Given what you had to go through just to save her and her friends do you honestly believe that she could have succeeded if you, Terry, or any of us weren't here?**"**

Arthur didn't respond, he simply looked at Maria. Matt, and Alden didn't say anything either. Her words hurt but what hurt me more was wondering if Arthur thought that I was useless. His body did shake when he told me things would have gone differently if he wasn't around, but with what Maria said and with Arthur staring at her, he looked like deep down he agreed. I had to hear him say it. 

" Arthur, do you think that I really could have made a difference against Courtney?**"**

**Arthur: " **I do.**"** Arthur said, staring me in the eyes.

" How are you so sure?**"**

**Arthur: "** I've been where you are, I know how it feels like. I've lost people I cared about, and I felt like I was useless, that I couldn't do anything about it, but I still kept fighting. Even though I lost sight of some things, you reminded me of those things, but the point I am trying to make is that you are strong-willed, that's why I believe that you could have helped.**"**

" But you have powers, I don't, would I have done something against them even if I had known they had monsters ready to fight for them? You told me everything about you learned about them, about where they're from, and what they've done, could someone like me have been able to do something?**" **I didn't know what to think, as much as I wanted to believe Arthur, a part of me agreed with what Maria said. I couldn't help but cry a bit, I wiped my tears away and decided I needed time to think.**"**

**Arthur: "** Thea, I-**" **

" I need to be alone for a bit**,"** I said walking away from him. I walked to one of the corners of the cave and sat down to think while trying to wipe away the tears that still kept coming.

**Maria P.O.V**

With Thea, going to collect her thoughts, Arthur walked to the tunnel of the cave that led outside and sat beside it, looking at the floor.

**Matt: "** Maria don't you think you're being too harsh?**"**

" I was only telling the truth, as much as they didn't want to hear it. Against somebody like Eric, Thea never stood a chance, and she needs to know that there are situations that are just out of a regular mouses league. As for Arthur, he shouldn't be letting individuals throw themselves into harm's way, especially those he cares about. It's better to just leave situations like the one we're all into the ones who can deal with it.**" **I said, my voice echoed throughout the cave making sure everyone heard it.

**Alden: " **That kind of behavior is the reason why we worry for Terry.**"**

**Maria: "** What?**"**

**Alden: "** I get that dragons are supposed, to be honest creatures, but could you at least take the feelings of everyone you talk to into consideration before you get all blunt with them. These mice could help us take care of Terry, but you don't seem to want that, instead, you prefer to push them away.**"**

**Matt: "** you once told us that everything you did was in Terry's best interest, but the truth is that it was only in your best interest. We wanted Terry to learn how to grow up like a regular mouse and help him overcome what happened to him, but you wouldn't let us, instead you chose to keep him hidden, keeping from learning how to deal with his past. That's why he encased himself in diamonds because he just couldn't take it anymore. He's like that because you failed to protect him.**" **I was shocked, I couldn't be the reason why Terry ended up encased in diamond, was I?

Matt, and Alden, walked away to another corner of the cave to talk, leaving me Terry. I looked at Terry and wondered if he could hear us, if he did then what would he say. Was I the reason why he ended up like this? I thought I was doing it for him, but looking at him now, I'm starting to think that I did fail him. 

**Arthur P.O.V**

**Later**

For thirty minutes nobody said anything, I wanted to talk to Thea but she wanted some space. I'm now thinking that it's the best time to talk to her. I got up and walked over to Thea who was still sitting in one of the corners. I looked around and saw both Matt, and Alden talking, and Maria sitting in front of the diamond that encased Terry, she was just staring at him. I wanted to talk to her but I wanted to talk to Thea. I sat right next to her but she didn't look at me. 

" How are you feeling?**"**

**Thea: "** I've been better, I was able to collect my thoughts.**"**

" That's great, so what are you thinking about?**"**

**Thea: "** She's not wrong.**"**

" Huh?**"**

**Thea: "** I've been toyed with, mousnapped, tortured and almost died, yet every time something bad happened to me, you came and saved me.**"**

" I'm sorry if I made you feel useless.**"**

**Thea: "** You have nothing to apologize for, I've come to realize that yes, this whole thing is just too much for me, my brother, or any else to handle, so I'm grateful to have met someone who can help us. But when I think about it, what you do and what I do aren't so different. You and I do things to help people, but you're always putting your life on the line. As for me, there are times where I tackle a story and it leads to me ending up in a very scary situation, I still keep going.**"**

" That's because you're brave, and I love that about you.**"**

**Thea: "** But I haven't been doing much of that lately. It's so far been to wait for you and then stand by and watch. I do want to help as much as I can, but I have limits to what I can do. Against someone like Ares or any of the monsters Eric, Max, or Courtney have with them, I have to leave that to you since that's something you're capable of dealing with, so all I can do is hope you'll come back to me. But even still if there's any way I can help you then I will, Because that's what I want, to help others especially the ones I love.**" **

" You may not have powers but you could still help others, all it takes is the courage to stand and smile no matter how bad it gets.**" **Thea looked at me and gave a smile. It was good to see her do that, makes me think that I helped her feel better. She leaned and kissed me on the cheek.

" You have a nice smile.**"**

**Thea: "** Well, I do have a boyfriend who showed me how to see smiling in a more positive light.**"**

I stood up and helped Thea do the same. We walked over to Maria who was still staring at Terry. Maria looked at us but her expression was more guilt-ridden. She got up and looked at Thea.

**Maria: "** Um, Thea, I would like to apologize for how harsh I was with what I said.**"**

**Thea: "** No, you were right, there are things that will be out of my league and it will make me feel useless when I watch individuals who can deal with a problem, deal with it. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't at least offer support, and if there is a way I can help then I will. This island is my home, and I want to help save it.**"**

**Maria: "** And I should start welcoming the help, not for my sake but Terry's.**" **

**Matt: "** We're glad to hear that.**" ** Matt said while he and Alden approached us. Maria turned to look at them.

**Maria: "** I must apologize for everything, I kept holding Terry back because I was so convinced that he would get hurt again, that I failed to see that there were mice you were traveling with us, who were trying to help him. And those same mice who were trying to help him were the same mice who got him out that hell.**"**

**Alden: "** Not just with him but with you too, both of you suffered, and we understand why it is difficult for you to trust others again, but now that we see that you are willing to try, we will do whatever we can to help both you and Terry.**"**

**Maria: "** I'm grateful to have mice like you in our lives, and I'm more grateful than you put up with me constantly pushing you away.**"**

**Matt: "** Don't beat yourself up, Alden, and I should have tried harder, but instead we waited all these years before we finally said something so that we all failed Terry, but let's work to fix that.**" **

All three mice hugged it out, it was a happy moment between all three of them. I looked at Terry, hopefully, he was listening to his guardians have a heart to heart. Maybe when Terry wakes up and breaks free, then perhaps he, along with his guardians will be able to get along much better than they did before. Of course both me and Thea will help out as well, and I also know some other individuals who will lend a paw. 

Things seemed to be looking good but then Maria turned to the direction of the tunnel that led outside and got very hostile. She immediately moved to the tunnel and removed her necklace, turning her back into a dragon. She growled at the cave and prepared to fire at whatever was in the tunnel. I began to sense something as well, a very malevolent force. Matt and Alden put on their armor and stood side by side ready for what was coming. Thea was getting nervous.

**Thea: " **What's going on?**"**

" Something evil is heading our way.**"**

**Thea: "** Be careful okay.**" **Thea ran to hide behind one of the large diamonds that were sticking out from the ground.

We waited for whatever was coming our way, the thing that was heading towards us was Ares. He emerged looking beaten and bruised. Not what I was expecting, but regardless, him being here meant trouble for us.

**Ares: "** Glad to see that one of us is benefiting from being stuck in this world.**"**

" How did you find us.**"**

**Ares: "** It was easy, the forest hides a person's energy but there's more to this forest. At certain points in the forest a person begins to feel frightened and ends up leaving the forest out of fear, anybody who continues to roam in those areas will feel greater fear until they leave. However, that only happens to individuals who hold ill intent. That explains why those mice who are after that little brat couldn't find him, because any location that has that same symbol as that brat is scare's off anyone who tries to hurt him. But It's not a problem for me since I fear nothing.**"**

" You may have found us but you don't look like you're in any condition to fight.**"**

**Maria: "** You're either very confidant in you're ability despite your condition or downright stupid.**"**

**Ares: "** Who said I was here to fight you.**"**

Ares held out one of his paws and in it he held a purple and red glowing ball of energy. We got ready for whatever he had planned, but when he threw he wasn't aiming for us, he was aiming for Terry. The glowing ball zoomed right past us and struck the diamond Terry was encased in. The diamond was engulfed in a dark purple aura, Maria ran to attack Ares but he was gone, Maria tried tracking his scent but couldn't detect him. We turned our attention back to Terry, but I was about Thea since her hiding spot was close to terry. She ran over to me, so that she could hide behind me, I wasn't sure what was going to happen but if anything did then I would need to take what's going to happen elsewhere.

Inside the purple aura, a pair of red glowing eyes shined from within, I moved Thea to the side, then suddenly Terry burst from the purple aura and quickly moved towards me, grabbing me, and zooming the both of us out of the cave.

**Thea: "** Arthur!**"**

**Maria, Alden, Matt: "**Terry!.**" **

Zooming out of the cave Terry grabbed my head and slammed against the floor, while we crashed into trees, as we sped through the forest. We would be hitting the city within seconds, to stop this I teleported the both of us to the sky where he let go of me and started attacking me like a savage beast. We may be in the sky now but The city was beneath us, so we could destroy it if we ended up fighting in the streets. Flew away from Terry but he gave chase, throwing lightning strikes as he did, but the lighting strikes he shot at me were in different colors. 

But each color did something, Some bolts were more powerful than some others while other lighting bolts scattered across a wide area, I was barely able to dodge those attacks, while some other bolts were a mix of both damage and covering a wider range. Terry then summoned a lightning storm of rainbow colors, bolts were striking everywhere. I could tell Terry was putting too much power into this attack but he wasn't doing it because he wanted to, whatever Ares hit him with has made him extremely aggressive. But maybe I could use that. Since Terry is using too much energy in his attack then the best thing I could do is wear him out. 

I flew out of the storm but Terry teleported in front of me and punched me into the sea, where I hit the bottom. He appeared before me and we started fighting in the ocean. Terry sent me flying out of the sea with a hard punch, back in the sky I had to keep making Terry waste all his energy but I had to make him do that far away from the city. I got an idea but it was risky, I would teleport the both of us to a location where Terry could exhaust himself, but the problem with that plan was that I haven't done a lot of traveling in this world so if I teleported both of us then who knows where we would end up. A possible solution that could work was using my warp gate ability since that one uses coordinates, I could use some of the coordinates from my world to take us to the desired location in this world. As long as I had numbers, the portal should still take me where I want to go, but the desired locations might be different than the ones in my world. I didn't know much about this world so I didn't know how different it was from mine but this idea was the idea I could best work with. 

I used the coordinates to a desert location in my world to take us to hopefully take us to a deserted location in this world. I waited for the right moment to open the portal, Terry charged at me and once the chance presented itself I opened the portal and I grabbed Terry as he pushed me in making us both go through. When we exited the portal, we entered a deserted area, the plan worked. Now that we were here Terry could let loose. Terry held nothing back and used so many abilities. All the power that I had, Terry had, he even had abilities that I didn't have. And many of the powers that he had he used, he was able to use them in different colors. Terry did use all of the powers he used to such a dangerous extent, any other person who used that much power for at least one of those abilities would have been critically injured or dead but Terry kept going. I had to use much of my energy as well to protect myself and to keep pushing Terry back. There was a moment where Terry stopped attacking and began to cry, the pain he was putting his body through was too much, but his eyes glowed red again and he began to be enveloped in that same purple aura that engulfed him back in the cave. He started to fight more aggressively, I had to knock him out quickly, hopefully, in his weakened state, I could have a better chance. This proved to be difficult since Terry would release a burst of energy to push me back. A window of opportunity came when Terry, who was about to throw a blast of energy almost lost consciousness due to the strain he put on his body. That was my chance to appear behind him and knock him out. 

Despite how much he used his powers, the injuries he dealt with his own body healed still healed rather quickly. Most likely the result of all of the pain Terry received from his dad, his body must just have gotten used to it and it can still heal fast no matter how much energy he uses. Another thing was the outfit Terry was wearing. His regular clothes were destroyed but Terry was wearing a kind of bodysuit underneath his clothes, whatever this suit was, it was made to take just as much damage as Terry dished out. With the fight over I looked around to see the damage that was done, I was really lucky that no-one was around. I grabbed Terry and created a portal to take us back to the cave on Mouse Island. 

We made it back but found no-body in the cave. I laid Terry down on the floor and laid beside him to get some rest. I didn't know where the others were but hopefully they could make it back to see that Terry is okay. After a while Maria, Alden, and Matt returned, and when they saw Terry they were relieved. I told them about our battle and how Terry was able to recover quickly, to which Maria confirmed that it was the result of all the pain Terry had endured. When I asked where Thea was they told me that she had gone looking for me but since she couldn't keep up with them, she's by the ocean probably wondering if I was okay. Maria then asked me to leave so that she and the other could look after Terry, and that I should go and show Thea that I was okay. She also said that she would send Matt or Alden to come and find me and Thea once Terry was awake. I didn't want to leave Terry while he was unconscious but I also didn't want Thea to worry. I got and they reassured me that once Terry was awake they would contact me and Thea. 

Using my invisibility flew towards the beach. Once there I could Thea by the edge of the harbor looking out into the distance. I landed behind her and became visible before speaking to her.

" Hi Thea**," **I said which made her turn around.

**Thea: "** Arthur!**"** She said overjoyed that I was back, she threw herself onto me in a tight hug.

**Thea: "** What happened? you had me so worried.**"**

" I'll tell you all about it later, but right now let me take you home.**"**

**Thea: "** Okay.**" **She said as she held my paw and we started walking back to her house.

**Thea: "** As much I'd like the idea of walking home with you, could maybe teleport us there because your clothes are a mess.**" **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still apply**

**Chapter 9: Bonds**

**The second day after the incident  
**

**New Mouse City Hospital**

**Simon P.O.V**

Walking out of the bathroom after my conversation with Arthur, I began questioning if perhaps I should stay out of this whole thing. What happened on that night is something I never would have imagined ever happening, so the fact that it did terrifies me. On my way over to the hospital, I could hear mice talking about it as well. The unease in their voices, not knowing what is going on, I could only imagine how the rest of the world will feel once they catch wind of this. Not only that but the giant worm's body is still by the sea. All of this makes me wonder what those Stiltons have gotten themselves into, sure they have a neck for getting into trouble, but this is something beyond any kind of trouble they get into. Walking down to Sally's room I couldn't help but feel scared over what's going to be happening in the coming days. I had a feeling that something bigger was coming. 

Walking into Sally's room I saw Geronimo in there with her. From Sally's expression, she wasn't happy to see him. I'm also not usually happy to see him but I was more worried about Sally. Geronimo greeted me and I greeted him back, Geronimo was slightly surprised by how I greeted him. I was genuinely being friendly with him with how I spoke. Geronimo didn't let the sudden friendliness get to him for long though, he got up from his chair and excused himself from the room.

It was just Sally and me now. She looked at me and noticed the flowers I was holding.

**Sally: "** Who are those for?**" **She said angrily.

" These are for you**," **I said nervously. Sally was surprised, but as quickly as the feeling came she hid it and went back to looking angry. 

**Sally: "** So when did you and Geronimo get all buddy with him?**"**

" We're not friends, I just have a lot on my mind right now.**"**

**Sally: "** So do I. What happened that night, this has to be the fault of those Stilton's.**"**

" I do have to ask, how were you taken?**"**

**Sally: " **Some mice broke into my office and knocked me out. When I woke up some crazy women began beating me, all the while laughing as she did it.**"**

" That's awful.**"**

**Sally: "** You have no idea what she put me through when I saw that Stilton girl, I knew she must have had something to do with this. Especially because when that crazy woman threatened to kill two mouselings, that Stilton girl said that she'd tell her everything.**" **

I heard that two of the mice that were rescued were children, but as far as I knew only one child was abducted, the niece of that Creepella girl. When I saw the girls on T.V the second kid that was rescued was that girl that Geronimo's nephew likes to hang with. I could assume she was a recent victim since I had seen her before the night of the incident. But to think that the person who abducted them would be willing to kill children just to get what she wanted, and if she was as crazy as Sally said, then I wonder what she did to her first child victim after she abducted her. Thinking about made me more afraid about wanting to pursue this, I wasn't sure who the mice behind this incident are, but with what I saw that night I'm thinking that it's best to hold off on that until Sally can get back on her feet, or at the very least until I know the Stiltons have a better grip on the situation before I come in. 

**Sally: "** I'm telling you those Stiltons are behind this whole thing, and when I get my paws on them I'm going to make them admit to it. Just think of the headlines, this could be what finally takes down those Stiltons, which would make the Daily Rat the best newspaper on the whole island.**"** Sally said as she started to laugh.

While I wouldn't have minded making the newspaper I work for the only newspaper on the island, because of what happened that doesn't seem like the best idea. As much as that part of me who wanted to see the Stiltons taken down, given who they were allied with and because they knew more about what's going on, and how I had that feeling that things were going to get worse then what I saw on T.V, it would be foolish to turn this whole thing into nothing more than campaign against a rival newspaper. This was something beyond serious, and I wasn't willing to dive into a situation that could get me or Sally killed. As much I hated to admit, I had to let the Stiltons and Arthur deal with it first. 

" Here, take these**," **I said handing Sally the flowers that Arthur gave me.

**Sally: "** Why are you giving me these, I don't want flowers, I want you to start writing to turn the public's opinion against the Stiltons.**" **She said knocking the flowers onto the floor. I picked up the flowers and handed them back to her.

" What I need to do is make sure your recovery goes nicely, what you need to do is focus on getting better**," **I said to Sally firmly, I was kinda amazed by my audacity to talk back to her like that. Sally was surprised and was not having it. 

**Sally: "** How dare you speak to me that way! Do you know that I am the one who signs your paycheck!**"** Sally said, trying to regain dominance over the conversation.

" Your checks won't do much good if you're not around to sign them.**"**

**Sally: "** What's that supposed to mean?!**"**

" It means what until you get better before you decide to do anything until then I'll keep coming in to check on recovery.**"**

I left the flowers with Sally and walked out of the room to ask a doctor if one of them knew about Sally's condition.

**Sally: "** Simon don't you dare walk out on me, Simon,SIMON!**"**

**Present Day**

**Morning**

As I promised I kept visiting Sally in the hospital. She wasn't too happy to see however as she always turned to look away from me. What surprised me was that despite not wanting to speak or look at me she didn't throw away the flowers I kept bringing her. After a few days of waiting, doctors said that Sally was allowed to leave but she had to apply medicine to the rope burns on her neck and refrain from doing things that gave her stress, as the stress would cause the burns to act up again. 

The day before Sally was allowed from the hospital I had been looking at the sight where the giant worm monster's body was, but the body was gone leaving only a giant hole in where the monster appeared. Things got weirder when a lighting storm appeared in the distance. The thing about this storm was the different colors of lighting, I had never seen anything like it before. I tried to take photos of the storm but the storm quickly disappeared. It was something worth reporting on but without evidence, most people probably won't believe it. 

When Sally got out of the hospital she contacted me and told me to pick her up. When she spoke to me she didn't start yelling and demanded that I pick her up, instead, her voice was soft almost as if she was being polite which kinda freaked me out. When I arrived Sally only got in the car and wouldn't say anything throughout the entire trip. She was still holding on to the flowers I had given her which was nice of her but I was still unsure over how she was acting. She didn't look angry, she looked sadder, when she looked at me she gave a slight smile before looking away. I kept thinking to myself that this was some kind of trap, she was probably acting like this so I would lower guard before she would go in and strangle me for talking back to her. She did nothing of the sort however, she was quiet throughout most of the drive to her house. Her stomach began to growl, which got me to laugh a bit, and she also found it funny. I decided that her house could wait, instead I would be taking her out to eat and try to make her feel better. 

**Afternoon**

I had spent the day trying to get Sally to cheer up, though I wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't an act so I braced myself for any rage she might let out. The day went by rather quickly after Sally and I got something to eat. I had taken her to the store to buy her some new clothes but she wasn't interested, I had tried to get her some new shoes but she also didn't look interested, and whenever I would walk a little far from her she would rush and grab onto my arm and not let go. What was going with her? She looked like she was in a mix of sadness and fear, but she also looked like she was deep in thought. I hoped she wasn't thinking how to get back at me for what happened back in the hospital. I was sweating, thinking about how this was just a trap, she was waiting for the right moment to strike.

**Evening**

My time with Sally was uncomfortable. I was always on guard everywhere I took her, I just couldn't convince myself that Sally was being genuine with her feelings, but what if she was? After an awkward drive to her house, I helped her walk over to her door before I took off. She opened the door and I was starting to walk back to my car but Sally held my arm. 

**Sally: "** Before you go, Simon, there's something I would like to say to you.**" **She said softly.

I knew it, this was it. I walked closer to her and she looked me in the eyes before leaning in and slapping me in the face as hard as she could. As super painful as it was I can't say it wasn't expected. Placing my paws on my cheek that had Sally's paw mark on, I tried not to show the tears of the pain I was feeling.

**Sally: "** That was for talking back to me.**"** Sally said angrily.

**Sally: "** And this is also for talking back to me.**" **Sally said, changing her aggressive tone to a softer one.

She gave me a quick hug before stepping away from me. She looked embarrassed, strands of her orange hair covering parts of her eyes.

**Sally: "** I have to admit I wasn't expecting you to talk back to me the way you did, I kinda respect the nerve you had when you did that. But don't think that gets you off the hook, I'm still your boss and what I say goes. But for now, I'm just going to focus on getting these burns healed, until they do, I need you to stay with me because no way I'm getting taken again.**"**

I wasn't expecting her to invite me into her house, but I do get what she is saying. Even though I heard that the mice behind all the abductions are dead, the feeling of being abducted again won't go away that easy, so maybe it wouldn't be that if I stayed a little while.

**Morning**

**Benjamin P.O.V**

Ever since the incident that night, Pandora and I have been spending more time together. Pandora seems to be doing well in handling the memories of what happened. She says that it's mostly thanks to me but I don't think I deserve all the credit, other mice have been helping her with her recovery like the mice who helped mice deal with trauma. Since Petunia was still in the hospital, Pandora had been staying with me at Geronimo's house, where she and I spend most of the day talking or playing games.

Geronimo was going to go to the hospital to visit Petunia and some other friends who were still in the hospital and told us that Trap would watch over us until he got back. Trap had already been waiting by the door when Geronimo opened it to get to his car which startled Geronimo. Uncle G scolded trap for scaring him but Trap laughed it off calling him a scared mouse. Geronimo, not wanting to waste any more time just told Trap to look after us and not get in any trouble. 

With Geronimo gone, it was now just the three of us. Trap suggested if we wanted to go somewhere to eat but Pandora wasn't too happy with leaving the house. She's been too afraid of stepping out into the streets because she was afraid of getting abducted again if she could be abducted while in the house of the mouse she was staying with then she believed she could just be picked up right off the street. I wanted Pandora to feel comfortable again, so I told her that it would be okay as long as we were with her. It took some convincing but she agreed to go with us, but only on the condition that I held her paw throughout the time we were away from the house. I still felt nervous about holding her paw, sure I was helping her but I couldn't help but feel like that by holding her paw more than friends. We were still too young to date but the thought of asking her out one day felt nice. 

Her paw felt very soft when I held it in my paw, it held onto it tightly to assure her that I wouldn't let anyone take her away from me which made her blush, and I blushed too. Trap had been watching the whole time but didn't say anything but it still didn't make me hold her paw feel less embarrassing. 

**Afternoon**

The time went by rather quickly, we ate, we drove around the streets of the city before coming back home. Geronimo had been waiting for and was for me and Pandora. We assured him that we were okay, but Trap decided to play a little joke on Geronimo.

**Trap: "** Relax Geronimo, I gave you my word that I wouldn't let anything happen to them, I just took to a restaurant to eat.**"** Trap said walking behind Geronimo and patting him on the back which gave Geronimo a shock. He jumped into the air and yelled, I couldn't help but laugh from it. What did make the moment sweeter was hearing Pandora giggle. Hearing her laugh and seeing her smile made me want to protect her even more. 

**Evening**

The sun had set and it was almost time for us to go to sleep. Before we did I invited Pandora to step outside the house with me. She wasn't willing to go outside again but I told her we weren't going to go anywhere, we would just sit in front of the porch. She was hesitant but agreed since we would be close to the door. I held onto her paw which made us blush again, and we stepped out of the house to look at the night sky. Pandora held my paw tighter as we watched the stars together in time we had before we went to bed.

**Pandora: "** The stars look beautiful tonight.**" **Pandora said without actually looking at them.

" You would find them more beautiful if you look at them**,"** I responded.

**Pandora: "** Why are we out again?**"**

" I wanted to show you how beautiful the stars are tonight, and to tell you that you don't need to worry about being mousenapped again because I will hold onto you and not let go.**"**

**Pandora: "** But I was mousenapped while in this house, what if they try again.**"**

" I won't let that happen**,"** I said hugging her.

**Pandora: "** But the mice who took me and Thea, they had monsters on their side and were able to keep all their victims well hidden until they decided to bring them out.**"**

"It doesn't matter if they are good at hiding their tracks or if they have other tricks up their sleeves. I care about you Pandora and watching you almost die made me very helpless and angry at myself because I was just watching. You mean so much to me and I almost lost you, I don't want that to happen again, I want to be someone who can protect you.**"**

**Pandora: "** You mean a lot to me too, so it would only hurt to see anything happen to you because of me.**"**

" Pandora, I care about you and I want to protect you, so that means if trouble does come then I'm willing to face it if it means I get to keep seeing you again. Especially if it means I get to keep on seeing your beautiful smile.**" **

**Pandora: "** Thank you, Ben.**" **she said looking at me, she looked like she wanted to say something else but held off on it. She looked at the starry night sky to enjoy the sight and admired the sight.

**Pandora: "** The stars do look beautiful tonight.**"**

The moonlight shined down her making her fur shine brighter and making her eyes sparkle. I was blown away from how beautiful she looked. 

" They sure do**," **I said as she rested her head on my shoulder and yawned. She was pretty tired and I started feeling tired as well. So we went to bed. 

**Morning **

**Geronimo P.O.V**

I don't think my nerves have been tested the way this whole thing has been testing them. Whenever the thoughts of it all start to get to me I try to read, play chess, or focus on my work to take my mind off it. Pandora spends more time with Benjamin, Trap seems to be able to make the best of the situation, Thea is currently in a relationship with Arthur, as for me I have just been going to the hospital to visit Petunia, Creepella and my other friends in the hospital. 

I feel like I don't know what to do anymore, there's always something crazier that happens every time I think that things couldn't get crazier. Like what happened yesterday, I was at the sight of where that giant worm monster was, the monster was gone now and all that was left was the giant whole it came from. I was thinking about where it went but my attention was shifted when I saw mice talking about something they were seeing in the distance. I saw what they were looking at which was a lightning storm that had different colored lightning. After the storm ended I picked my phone to call Thea, and she told me that Terry had awakened and was fighting Arthur because of Ares. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to do anything to help in the situation I just decided to leave this to Arthur since this is his field of expertise. I decided to just call it a day and think about my next visit to the hospital. 

The next morning I asked Trap to look after Ben and Pandora again, while I visited the hospital and he agreed to look after the mouslings. While driving to the hospital some things were bothering me, one of those being Terry. If he truly has awakened then maybe he could help Arthur fight Ares. But Terry was only a kid who was forced out of a long sleep and probably still wanting to attack Arthur, I should call Thea and ask her about that. I picked up the phone and called Thea, it took a minute for her to answer but she finally did. 

**Thea: "** Hi Geronimo.**"** Thea said, sounding happy.

" Hey Thea, Can I ask about what happened to Arthur and Terry.**"**

She said that both came back but were both exhausted, but Arthur had been able to snap Terry out of whatever Ares did to him that made him psychotic. The only thing that happened next was that Terry's guardians said that we needed to wait until Terry woke up before anything else happened. I asked questions about how Ares found them and the answers Thea gave me were surprising, to say the least. The forest was protecting Terry by scaring away whoever meant ill will towards him. She clarified that it wasn't just those who had ill will towards Terry, but just ill will in general. Hearing this I was thinking about asking Volt to investigate the forest since, however, it probably would be pointless since Volt doesn't possess any ill will. 

**Afternoon**

The drive to the hospital wasn't as pleased with so many thoughts bothering me I thought spending time with Petunia and my other friends would make me feel better. It didn't, unfortunately, once I got to the hospital I was about to head into Petunia's room when a doctor came out and spooked him since I was about to enter the room right as he was about to get out. He informed me that I would need to try and visit her again tomorrow because she had another violent outburst. She had been securely strapped this time but it was still dangerous to see her while she was acting out violently. It hurt to hear that, she was an innocent mouse who didn't deserve to have anything bad happen to her, just like all the other's who were taken. Walking out of the hospital I couldn't help but think about what they did to her. 

The drive back home felt depressing, I wasn't sure what to do next. I got hungry and decided to stop by the store to get a snack. While in there I spotted Simon who was currently purchasing groceries. I tried avoiding him as best I could but he saw me but rather than joke about me he greeted me nicely.

**Simon: "** Hey Geronimo, how's it going?**" **

" It's thank you, how are you?**"**

**Simon: "** I'm doing great myself thank you.**"**

Being able to greet each other normally certainly felt different, but I didn't mind, it felt kinda nice to talk to each other normally. We had another chance to talk when I was back at my car getting ready to leave the store after my snack when Simon appeared again. 

Not to cause any trouble from what it looked like, but just here to talk.

**Simon: "** Geronimo, can I ask you something?**"**

" Sure Simon, what is it?**"**

**Simon: "** How do you do it?**"**

" Do what?**"**

**Simon: "** I am just going to say it, you're an absolute coward compared to the rest of your family but yet somehow you still have the nerve to keep pushing forward. No matter how scary or dangerous the situation gets you still somehow manage to overcome the odds, How do you do it?**"**

" I guess it's because I know what will happen if I don't do something when I report on a story it usually ends up becoming more than I expected which usually ends up with me dealing with some dangerous situations but I know that if I don't do something then the bad guys and get away and succeed with their plans making them difficult if not impossible to stop them. I feel like it no longer becomes about the story, instead, it becomes about doing what is right, the fact that I get to walk away from the whole thing with a story that was more than I thought it would be is more like a bonus. 

**Simon: " **And you've managed to tackle all kinds of stories, you almost seem to get ahead of the daily rat, no matter what we do.**"**

" But I don't do it alone, I have friends, and family who are willing to join me, in fact, they often go and report on stories themselves, because they know that I'll have their back just like they would have mine if anything were to happen.**"**

**Simon: "** And the number of friends you get only seems to grow, with the latest being a mouse who can do the impossible.**"**

" I'd be lying if I said this whole thing hasn't thrown me for a loop, this whole thing has been testing my nerves. But this situation is not as different as the other stories I've written if the bad guy's getaway then who knows what they'll do, and we've seen just what they're capable of. But this is very personal to me, I've had friends, and family taken, hurt, and almost killed while I just stood by and watched, unable to do anything. I have a personal reason for not backing down this time, and while I'm not sure what I can do against such capable foes, I am still determined to do something to try and help.**"**

**Simon: "** I have a personal reason for not wanting to back down, you know more about this whole thing then I do, and since your family always finds a way out of crazy messes, all I could do is just hope that you and your new friend could get us all out of this one.**"**

" I hope we could do that too.**"**

**Simon: "** Well, thanks for the talk. You've given some things to think about.**"** Simon said, holding out his paw.

" Well, glad we had this conversation**,"** I said holding his paw and shaking it.

When I let go he started walking back to his car. The conversation we had was unexpected but helpful. It helped me think about why I kept pushing forward no matter what happened. I knew the stakes and I had my reasons for still being in this, so because of that I had to help Arthur take on Ares and after that help him and Thea look after Terry. 

**Evening.**

I was having trouble sleeping, I was thinking about how the events on this island were going to affect the world once news got out. Word travels fast and our island was the dead center for one of the biggest events that will change things, but there was that part of me that questioned if that would happen. So far the mice who have been after Terry had done a good job of keeping things under wraps. Whether I wanted to admit or not they have been able to keep what they've done hidden from the rest of the world so I shouldn't throw out the possibility that they would have a plan in place, just in case something like this happened. 

I began to consider how they would be capable of pulling off such things. If they can control the situation, then they must have some kind of help that goes beyond their group. Members of government, having a certain level of control over the media in the places that they've been to, if these things are true then it would only make the group more powerful than we have seen already because it would mean that there are mice who know about the supernatural, and have agreed to help keep quiet for the time being.. I could just be overthinking it, however, I need to look at this whole situation through as many angles as possible. 

I walked down to the kitchen to enjoy a cup of coffee while I thought about it some more. When I arrived at the kitchen I found Trap enjoying a midnight snack. When he saw he almost screamed but kept his mouth shut so that he wouldn't wake Pandora and Ben.

**Trap: "** Hey G, you scared me there.**"**

" Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just going to have a cup of coffee.**"**

**Trap: "** Well don't let me stop you, just came over to have a snack.**"**

Thinking about Trap, I noticed that despite how crazy this whole thing was, he never lost his cool, he had somehow been able to see things in a brighter light then I did. I wanted to know what he thought about this whole thing.

" Trap.**"**

**Trap: "** Yeah G?**"**

" What do you think about all that has happened.**"**

**Trap: "** What do you mean?**"**

" I mean, despite everything you always kept being you as if you always saw things on their brighter side because you kept looking at the bigger picture and not focusing on just a piece. Back when Thea was abducted, I punched Arthur for failing to protect her. I was about to yell at him, I was going to make him leave, but you spoke up and got me to see that Arthur was still our best chance at getting her back. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have seen that.**"**

**Trap: "** I was angry too, but I remembered that this whole thing was bigger than any of us, and if we were going to get off it then we all had to work together. Yelling and splitting up wouldn't do anything except make things difficult. We couldn't afford to fight amongst ourselves, especially after what happened to Thea and Pandora, and we still can't afford that now. Things could still get worse, so that's why now more than ever we need to be able to work together and not fight each other.**"**

" I see, thanks Trap, you helped me avoid making a big mistake. Although I'm sure Arthur felt the same way, he did disappear for a few days after he saved the girls.**"**

**Trap: "** Well now he's back and he's with Thea, so all's well that ends well.**"**

" Guess you're right.**"**

**Trap: "** By the way can we talk about Arthur for a sec?**"**

" Why?**"**

**Trap: "** Because think of the possibilities of having someone like that on our team.**"**

Trap and I talked through the night talking about the benefits of having Arthur with, and I laughed thinking about the crazy shenanigans Trap would force Arthur into. Being able to laugh made the whole conversation more memorable. Whatever happens next, we will face it together.

**Morning**

**Thea P.O.V**

I was busy in the kitchen cooking Arthur a nice breakfast. I was wearing a lovely pink apron so my pajamas wouldn't get stained while I cooked. Arthur had been busy this week with hero work so I figured I could spend the day showing my appreciation for it. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and it was so quiet I could hear mice greeting each other outside. Arthur walked into the kitchen, dressed in his hero outfit getting to patrol around and help people. I finished cooking and went to serve it to him. 

" Morning sweetie.**"**

**Arthur: "** Morning honey.**" **

I gave him a good morning kiss. After that, we sat and enjoyed our meals. When it was done we got to talking.**"**

" So, think you could get back early today.**"**

**Arthur: "** Sure, but why?**"** He asked curiously.

" I just thought about showing I appreciate having you in my life, and for all the good you've done.**"**

**Arthur: " **You don't have to do that. As long as I get to see your loving smile every time I come home, then that's all I need.**"**

" You're so sweet**,"** I said blushing.

We held each other's paws and the light from the morning sun shined the rings we had on our middle fingers. It was still hard to believe since that night, but our love for each other was just as strong if not stronger then what he had felt on the night we decided to start walking into the next chapter of life together. We leaned in and were about to kiss each other again when I heard a voice coming from the entrance to the kitchen.

**?: "** Momma, Papa.**" **

My eyes flew open, only to be staring at the roof of my room. The room was very dim, turned to turn and the light barely started to appear. My body was getting hotter. I quickly sat straight up on my bed, to think about what was happening. While getting up I could feel someone's arms slide down my chest and onto my lap. I turned to see Arthur sleeping right next to me and it looked like he wasn't wearing his shirt. Thinking about it, I remember the feeling of Arthur's arm rubbing against my fur as it slid down onto my lap, but I didn't feel it rub against every bit of my fur. With that thought now in my head I quickly lifted the blanket to confirm my suspicion, I was relieved to see that I was still wearing some clothing, even though it was just my black bra and underwear. I breathed a massive sigh of relief. If I was still wearing some clothes then Arthur was still wearing some clothes. I checked and he was still wearing pants, which was another relief. 

If I was looking at a mirror now my face would be completely red. That dream I had, it felt so real that when I woke up I couldn't exactly process the fact that it was a dream. Arthur and I were married and had a kid. The thought of it made me blush even more. I grabbed my pillow and stuffed my face in it and started to freak out. It was way too soon to even be thinking about having that kind of life, we still just became a couple and now here I am having dreams like this. Why, why was it happening so soon. 

I felt Arthur's arm move which made me get my head out the pillow and look at him. Guess the noise I was making woke him up.

**Arthur: "** Thea are you okay?**" **Arthur said worriedly. 

" Yeah sorry, it's just a dream I had.**"**

**Arthur: "** I was going to ask if you had a nightmare but seeing you blush like that, I can tell it's anything but that.**"** Arthur said, chuckling slightly.

Feeling more embarrassed I threw my pillow at him.

" Well, it's your fault I'm like this!.**" **I shouted.

**Arthur: '** My fault, how is my fault?**"** Arthur said, pulling the pillow from his face.

I didn't answer. I turned away from him and huffed out of my bed and into the bathroom quickly. I saw my pajamas on the floor and picked them up and used them to cover me up a little so that Arthur wouldn't get any perverted thoughts as he looked at me walking into the bathroom.

After taking a shower and putting on my pajamas I walked into the kitchen and started making myself breakfast, Arthur could make breakfast for himself this time. When Arthur came into the kitchen, I was already enjoying the meal I had made. I saw him staring at me and I quickly looked away, he knew that if he wanted to eat then he would have to make it himself this time. Arthur didn't seem to mind, he was more confused as to why I was angry with him. I wasn't angry with him. I was more embarrassed because that dream was so unexpected. He started pulling out ingredients from the fridge and kitchen cupboards and started cooking. 

After a while, he finished making himself something to eat and I wasn't expecting what he had made. The food he had made was enough for two mice, and during the time he spent making the food, the scent from what he was making was so good I wanted to eat what he was making. While he enjoyed his meal I wondered where he learned how to cook. He can fight crime, and cook too. Whenever he looked at me while he was cooking, he would give me this evil look, as if he knew that I would want some of what he made. I couldn't take it anymore, so I asked him. 

" Where did you learn to cook?**"**

**Arthur: "** My mother taught me?**"**

" She did.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, before I lost her, I spent a lot of time with her and she taught me how to cook.**" **

Arthur started to feel down after thinking about his family, but he quickly cheered up when he told me that I could enjoy myself with the food he made, as there was enough for two.

**Arthur: "** Thea, why are you angry with me?**"**

" I'm not angry, I'm just embarrassed.**"**

**Arthur: "** Embarrassed?**"**

I told Arthur about what I had dreamt about last night, and he was blushing after hearing about the life we were living together. Then I asked him about what happened the previous night since I had woken up almost naked. Arthur said that last night he and I spent most of the day just watching T.V and he was putting on performances in the living room with his powers. One thing led to another and we started kissing, which eventually led to us making out in my room. It wasn't for very long though, as thirty minutes later I fell asleep, however during that time some clothes came off but I made sure not to go any further and just leave myself in a bra and underwear. I'm guessing the shock of the dream made me forget what happened last night.

Anyway, I felt like things were going too fast, so I told Arthur that I would like our relationship to progress at a more normal pace because I felt like going into make-out sessions was going a little too fast. Although I do still feel like I need to repay Arthur for all he's done since he got here. 

Arthur spent some time thinking about what I said to him and he agreed, but as for me repaying him for all he's down, he wasn't so sure about that.

**Arthur: "** You don't have to repay me for anything, just keep being able to put a smile and that's all I need to know that you're okay.**"**

" That's sweet but, you've saved me several times already so I should at least do something to show I appreciate what you've done.**"**

**Arthur: "** If you want too then I guess, how about we try our date again.**"**

" Our date again?**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah, remember the night you were mouse-napped, we had agreed to go on a date, so if you want we could try it again.**"**

" That sounds nice, I'd love to. Let's spend the day together.**"**

**Afternoon**

Arthur and I got ready for our date, I decided that I would wear my best dress. I put on a black and this time I decided to put on heels so that it would make me look a little nicer. I wasn't sure if I was trying too hard to look nice but I wanted to look my best. Arthur knocked on the door to my room, when I opened it I saw Arthur dressed in a lovely tuxedo, I'm assuming he made that himself.

**Arthur: "** Hi Thea, you look nice.**" **He said blushing.

" Thanks, you look nice too.**"**

**Arthur: "** yes, let's go.**"**

We walked out of the house and started walking to wherever Arthur wanted to go. I like being able to walk with him but mice staring at me and it felt pretty embarrassing, although I think the reason why they were staring was not because of how I looked but it must be from when I was walking. I don't even know why I even have heels, I can't even walk with them. I almost lost my balance and fell on the floor multiple times but Arthur kept catching me. It got to the point where I could take no more, so I just took off my heels and insisted we go home so I could put them away. This whole date was getting very embarrassing for me because as soon as I entered my room I didn't want to come out. I was determined to see this date through to the end, however, so I got out of my room and we tried this again. 

The walk to wherever Arthur wanted to take me was smoother this time although the mice that were staring at me were doing so because of how I was dressed. I stuck closer and held his arm while we walked. We had made it to our destination and that was a restaurant that was a little fancier. Lucky for us there was an empty table so we were seated very quickly. Arthur had set up a reservation and we had arrived a couple of minutes early. We placed our orders and talked while we waited. 

" This place is a little different than what I had in mind but bonus points for taking me somewhere that wasn't the coffee shop.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well I wanted to surprise you.**"**

" Well color me surprised, I have to ask when did you have the time to set this up?**"**

**Arthur: "** When you and Geronimo were giving me a tour of the city, I saw a restaurant that looked nice, so when thinking where to take you I thought about that restaurant and I gave them a call. And lucky for me they had a few seats opened so I made the reservation.**"**

" Very lucky indeed. You must've had some confidence in our ability to walk there despite the setback. A setback I am sorry for.**"**

**Arthur: "** Don't worry about that, it's okay.**"**

" Sorry, I'm just not entirely sure what happens to me when I decide to look my best.**"**

**Arthur: "** Don't worry about it, it's okay. Besides you look really cute when you're nervous.**"**

I appreciated what he said but I couldn't help but cover my face with my paws. When I looked at him, he was smiling at me. If his goal was to embarrass me then he succeeded because I'm not sure how much more embarrassed I could feel. One thing I did have to point out was that Arthur wasn't so worried about walking out in public anymore. Nobody was looking at him like they recognized him but some mice looked at him funny, but other than that he was able to walk around without worry. We were still waiting for our meal to come but for some reason, I asked Arthur something that changed the mood of this date. 

" Arthur, if you don't mind telling me, what happened to the mice who were torturing me?**"**

Arthur paused, unsure of how to respond. After a few minutes, he finally spoke up. 

**Arthur: "** I don't know, I knocked them out but I think that's all I did, I didn't police them or anything, I was more focused on you to think that.**" **he said looking away from me in guilt. Guess he blames himself for what happened.

" Arthur, do you blame yourself for what happened on that day, do you blame yourself for all the bad things that happened to me?**"**

**Arthur: "** I do actually, I know you told me not to blame myself but I can't help it, you're always in trouble, and it always has to be because of me.When I saw what those guys did to you, I didn't know what to think other than I'm the reason you were hurt. I'm left unsure of what to do, I thought if I kept my distance from you it would keep you safe but the exact opposite happened instead.I left you because I thought it was in your best interest.**"**

" But I never wanted you to leave. When you left I felt like it was because I betrayed your trust, you told me so much about yourself and I told everything to Courtney, so now she and all the mice she works with now know it too.**"** I said while reaching for his paw.

" I can understand why you would think like that, but you shouldn't come to conclusions like without talking to me about it because we both had different thoughts about what happened that night when you flew away, which left the both of us feeling hurt**,"** I said holding his paw and moving closer to him. He turned back to look at me and our eyes met again.

" I don't blame you for what happened, trouble is something that I am already used to. Way before you came I always ended up in very scary situations, but I managed to overcome it because I had others by my side to help me. So what happened is no different from that, we were able to get through what happened because we had each other. Just like how you are willing to risk your life for me, I am willing to do the same for you, because you're more than just a friend to me, you're my boyfriend and I love you.**" **I said leaning in closer and kissing him.

When I broke the kiss, Arthur smiled before leaning in and kissing me. When he broke it, he held my paw tighter and in a quiet voice started talking again.

**Arthur: "** Thanks, I love you too.**"** He said lovingly. We both stared at each other and were about to kiss again when we heard someone coughing close to us. We looked and it was the waitress staring at us while holding our food. She must have been standing there for a bit because she was blushing from what she was seeing and wasn't sure if she should say something.

**Waitress: "** Um, excuse me, your meal is ready.**" **She said looking embarrassed.

**Evening**

After our time at the restaurant Arthur paid for the meal, I was going to ask him where he got the money but I just wanted to enjoy our date so I didn't bother. The whole day went by and we spent it by going to the park and enjoying some other sights like the sea. Although my feet started hurting from all the walking so Arthur's solution was to give me a piggyback ride to the other sights we went to. Another thing he did was turn us invisible and started flying around so I got to enjoy looking at the mice walking the streets, and cars passing by while up in the air, landing, and making us visible again once we reached our destination. 

When the sun started to set, Arthur decided to spend the time before the sky became dark to just fly high above the city and stay there to show me the view of the city while the sunset. It was beautiful, we remained up in the air until the sky was completely dark. When it was dark Arthur flew us home. It was one of the most romantic dates I had ever been in. 

At home, Arthur treated me to a nice dinner that was just as lovely as the meal we had at the restaurant. If he was trying to seduce me it's kinda working, this whole day has been one lovely surprise after another. Once the meal was done we spent our time just sitting on the couch and cuddling. Arthur spent some of the time by performing more tricks with his powers. When it was finally time to get ready for bed we washed up and headed to bed. While on the bed we had cuddled beside each other again and we commented on the whole day.**"**

" This has been one of the most romantic days I've ever had.**"**

**Arthur: "** Would you mind if we did this some other time?**"**

" I'd love to. I love you, Arthur.**"**

**Arthur: "** I love you, Thea.**"** We kissed one more time before closing our eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still apply**

**Chapter 10: Supernatural in a natural girls world**

**Unknown Location **

**Cortney: "** Well master, I say that this was bust.**"**

**Max: "** We don't know where those two went, because of that we weren't able to collect any useful data.**"**

**Cortney: "** And here I thought we would be almost done.**"**

**Eric: "** We are almost done. Even if we didn't collect some new data, we should have enough to satisfy us for now.Besides, we have another opportunity for data, but collecting it could be trickier than the last time. Since we are holding our end of the deal to restore Ares.**"**

**Max: "** But master we didn't collect any data,**"**

**Eric: "** I know, regardless of that, Ares still fulfilled his end of the bargain, so we must follow up on ours.How long before he's restored.**"**

**Courtney: " **It shouldn't be long now.**"**

**Eric: "** Good, Max is the sword ready?**"**

**Max: " **Yes sir.**"**

**Eric: "** Then all we can do now is wait.**"**

**Thea's house**

**Thea P.O.V**

**Morning**

Arthur and I had been spending a bit of our morning doing stretches and exercising. I was first to wake up, and I had to wait for Arthur to wake up since he had me in an embrace. While waiting I was thinking about what would happen after Arthur went home, he may not have been here for that long but his actions here will have long term effects even after he's gone. Of course, I don't expect him to be gone forever since he has to look after Terry, but that made me wonder, I thought that since Terry didn't have any control over his powers, the best way to look after him would be to remove take him somewhere, where he could be safe while he trained to control his powers. The thought of not seeing Arthur again despite all that happened made me nervous. We've already been through so much it felt like being able to adjust to whatever is going to happen next after all this is over would be much more difficult without the ones who caused such a change in how things worked. It actually made me think whether or not this whole thing was nothing more than a long dream that I couldn't wake from. 

I looked at Arthur and thought about the dream I had when we were married, I looked at my paw that was placed on his chest and thought about whether or not that dream could come true one day. I know both Arthur and I agreed to take things slowly but still, it was kinda nice thinking about how one day we could transition from boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife. I still couldn't believe that I was in a relationship with someone who not only had superpowers but is from another universe. My family really does have a knack for ending up in the craziest situations, I couldn't help but laugh. 

I snuggled against Arthur's chest fur and Arthur started to wake up. As he did he tightened his embrace. When he awoke he looked at me with a warm smile.

**Arthur: "** Morning Thea.**"**

" Morning Arthur.**"**

Arthur let go of me as he sat upon the bed. I followed along and both of us were now sitting on the bed in silence for a few minutes. Arthur looked like he had a bit on his mind. 

" So do you think that maybe we should check up on Terry?**"**

**Arthur: "** Terry's guardians said that they would contact us once Terry woke up, but it wouldn't hurt to see how he's doing.**"**

Arthur stretched his arms out and I grabbed his right arm and hugged it. Arthur looked at me and moved in for a hug.

**Arthur: "** So Thea, what do you want to do today?**"**

" I just want to spend as much time as I can with you because I'm not sure how long it will be before I see you again.**"**

**Arthur: "** What do you mean?**"**

" Well, once this whole thing is over you are going to take Ares back to your world, and I'm not sure if you're going to take Terry with you since you're going to train him. So I just want to spend as much time as I can with you before you leave.**" **I said holding onto him tighter.

**Arthur: "** While it is true that once I've got Ares I have to return home, but I won't be gone forever, and as for Terry, I will train him but I'm not sure if I'm going to take him from his universe just to do it.**"**

" Whether or not you do it does not change the fact that you are going to have to go home.**"**

**Arthur: "** I won't be gone forever, I will still visit and if you want I could take you to my universe so you could see what it's like, and I take you to see the other universes.**"**

" Haha, here you are giving me the scoops of the century but I don't think I could even report on those for the Rodent's gazette without giving it a reputation for creating outlandish stories like the Daily Rat.**" **

**Arthur: "** Sorry if that upsets you.**"**

" It makes me a little upset but I'll live, Just promise me you'll show me a good time in the other universes.**"**

**Arthur: "** Promise.**"**

I wasn't sure how long I had with him so I was determined to make the most of it. I quickly got out of bed and told Arthur we were going to have jam as much fun as we can into today. I was curious about the kind of training a hero does before they go out so I asked Arthur to do some exercises with me, and he agreed.

The exercises we did were more than I could handle, I was familiar with the exercises but it was just the extent Arthur did them that was more than I could handle. I had worked up quite a sweat and I was feeling pretty exhausted, so I rested on the couch but Arthur decided to use it as a bench press while I rested on it. When he was done he carefully placed it back on the floor and concluded his physical training.

" So does what training do you do to help you improve your powers.**"**

**Arthur: "** The training for powers is different and your house isn't the safest place to do that, plus it's not a good idea to work on powers while in a populated area.**"**

" I understand, I'm going to hit the shower after that. How about you and I go to the park for a nice walk.**"**

**Arthur: " **I like that idea, especially since mice aren't recognizing me as much, I think now most assume that while I bear a resemblance to the mouse they saw on tv, they probably think I'm just a regular mouse.**"**

" What, you saying you don't like being in my house?**"**

**Arthur: "** Course not, I'm just saying it's to be able to be with you while outside your house and not worry about being invisible most of the time.**"**

" Well, let's not worry about that now, let's just worry about how we'll spend our time today, but first we need to freshen up.**"**

**Later**

**The Park**

**Afternoon**

After a nice warm shower and nice breakfast that Arthur made, we made our way to the park. It was nice seeing plenty of mice walking in the park, but the small number of them were families while the majority of mice were couples on a date. Worked for us since we blend in pretty well with that crowd. Our time was spent walking and talking about things, I asked Arthur about the other universes while he asked me about myself to get to know me better. Can't say that it's a fair trade but it's not like I could give him anything better than what he's giving me. Which made how I was going to repay him all the more difficult. I know he said he doesn't want anything in return but I still want to do something in return.

After plenty of walking and looking around the park, we sat on a bench in silence. Things seemed rather nice despite the looming threat of Ares or Eric and his minions attacking again. The thought of anything happening again made sit closer to Arthur and he placed an arm around my shoulder. We stayed there until we heard Pandora shouting at us. 

**Pandora: "** I KNEW IT!**" **She shouted, startling us.

**Pandora: "** I knew you guys were a couple.**"** Pandora said as she ran towards us.

**Benjamin: "** Come on Pandora, at least let them have their moment.**" **Benjamin said while catching up to her.

**Geronimo: "** Arthur, Thea, good to see you.**"** Geronimo said following them.

**Trap: "** Yeah, we were on our way to check your house Thea, but Pandora saw the both of you here so we came to say hi.**" **Trap said running to us.

" Oh, you guys are here to enjoy the park as well.**"**

**Benjamin: "** Well Pandora wanted to see you, that's why we left the house.**"**

I looked at Pandora who was acting cheerfully. I was then suddenly hit by the memories of what happened when Courtney abducted us, shaking my head to snap out of it. 

**Pandora: "** Are you okay Thea?**"**

" Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, I should be asking you that. Are you doing okay Pandora?**"**

**Pandora: "** Yeah totally, Ben's been a real help.**" **She said hugging Ben made him blush.

**Benjamin: "** I don't think I did that much.**"**

**Pandora: "** Don't kid yourself, you've helped me so much.**" **Ben looked away in embarrassment, Pandora and I giggled. It was a cute moment. But then Trap called out to Arthur.

**Trap: "** Hey Arthur, are you doing okay?**"**

I turned to look at Arthur and he looked confused about something.

" What's the wrong Arthur?**"** I said worriedly. 

**Arthur P.O.V**

While Thea and Pandora giggled at Ben who was looking embarrassed, I started to hear a voice in my head.

**?: "** Arthur.**"** The voice said.

" Who is this?**"** I said in my head.

**?: "** It's Terry. I need to talk to you alone.**"**

" Terry, is it really you? Are you okay?**"**

I got no response. I was thinking about what to do when Trap called asking if I was okay. Thea quickly gave me a worried look and asked if anything was wrong.

**Thea: "** Arthur, what's wrong? are you okay?**"** She asked, more worried.

" Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry to worry about you.**"**

**Thea: "** Are you sure, you have this look like you're confused, are you sure everything's okay?**"**

" Yeah, it's just that I received a telepathic message from Terry.**" **I said making Thea and Geronimo Jump.**"**

**Thea: "** Terry got in contact, What did he say?**"**

" He wants to meet me alone.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Alone, why alone?**"**

" He didn't say, but I think I have an idea as to why he wants to meet alone.**"**

**Thea: "** Do you need me to come with you?**"**

" I'm sure Terry's guardians wouldn't mind having you around, but when we get there it'll just be me and Terry that will talk.**"**

**Thea: "** That's fine, I'm not going to force my way into the conversation, but can you at least tell me what you talked about?**"**

" Alright.**"**

**Pandora: "** You two are going somewhere, can we come?**"**

**Geronimo: "** I think it's best if it's just those two go alone, sorry Pandora.**"**

**Pandora: "** Awwww, I wanted to go with them.**"**

**Benjamin: "** Don't worry I'm sure they'll be fine.**"**

**Pandora: "** I know Thea will be fine because she has Arthur to look out for her, I just wanted to see where they were going.**"**

**Thea: "** I'm sorry Pandora, maybe next time okay.**"**

**Pandora: "** Okay.**" **Pandora said looking disappointed

Before Thea and I could start walking out of the park, we saw Trap return with a bunch of food.

**Trap: "** Sorry I wasn't here for the conversation can you do it all over again.**"**

**Thea: "** Uh, really Trap!**"**

**Hidden Cave**

**Afternoon**

Both Thea and I walked into an ally away from the mice that were walking the streets of the city. Once I was sure we were safe I teleported us both to the Hidden cave outside of the New Mouse City. When we arrived at the cave's entrance Thea started shaking, it takes a while for someone to get used to the feeling of teleportation especially if they are a passenger.

**Thea: "** How long does the feeling last?**"**

" It only lasts a few minutes, You'll get used to the feeling I promise.**"**

**Thea: "** Still going from one place to another in an instant simply because you can. Volt would be jealous.**"**

" That reminds me, we haven't Volt in a bit, maybe we should check on him after we're done here**."**

Thea nodded and we made our way into the cave. I checked to see if the bracelet I made was still holding up and it was still in good condition, so it should be safe to talk to Terry by accidentally copying his powers.Thea was a little spooked by the cave as it got darker so she held onto my arm. When we reached Terry and his guardians, his guardians were surprised to see us.

**Maria: "** What are you two doing here?**" **Maria said surprised.

**Matt: "** Yeah, we said we would contact you once Terry was awake.**"**

I looked at Terry who was still lying asleep on the floor. Confused, I was about to say something but Terry talked first.

**Terry: "** I called him here.**"** He said sitting up straight.

Maria, Matt, and Alden rushed to Terry and started asking him questions to see if he was alright, but Terry tried assuring them that he was okay. After a few minutes, his guardians gave him some space, and Terry got up and motioned for me to come to him. I looked at Thea and she let go of my arm, and Terry's guardians said that Terry and I wouldn't go anywhere, just another part of the cave. With that, I walked to Terry and we both headed for one of the far corners of the cave. Once there, Their Terry created a dome of fire around us so we could talk without anyone listening. 

" Nice Trick.**"**

**Terry: "** Just who are you?**" **Terry said in a very serious tone

" I am Arthur, I am a friend.**"**

**Terry: "** You're not lying to me, which is good I guess.**" **Terry said, softening his tone.

**Terry: "** When I was knocked out after our fight, I slowly regained consciousness after a while and that's when I heard Maria, and the others talk about you and some others. I decided to listen in while still acting like I was asleep. It gave me time to myself too just think.**"**

" I guess everything is a little too much to take in?**"**

**Terry: "** You're not wrong, when I heard about you I was scared because I thought my dad I finally perfected what he wanted.**"**

" What do you mean?**"**

**Terry: "** When I was resting after our fight, I heard Matt talk about the mice you fought in an airport, mice with abilities but they looked like monsters. I assumed you were an escapee and my dad was trying to get you back.**" **

" I did, You thought I was one of them?**"**

**Terry: "** I did, because those mice that you fought, they were once my family. Poor innocent souls that were turned into beasts thanks to my father, but he is not the only to blame, it was I who he used to turn them into the beasts they are now.**"**

" But how?!**" ** I asked, shocked.

**Terry: "** My mother had tried hiding my abilities from my father, she had friends who she trusted to help keep him from learning what I was capable of, but when I was four, my father learned the truth. I remember my parents arguing, my father wanted me to exploit my abilities but my mother wanted me to live freely, but my father had more power than her and many more allies. When I was four my father began to experiment on me. His first goal was to see how powerful I was, so he would take me to other locations and force me to use my powers to the full extent I could, many innocents lost their lives and now their spirits follow me everywhere I go.**"**

**Arthur: "** I remember seeing countless spirits whenever I entered the spirit world, they didn't possess any ill will, at least as far as I know, I guessed some followed me because I had powers like you.**"**

**Terry: "** After my father realized how strong I was, he decided his next goal would be to try and copy my abilities and transfer them to regular mice. For this, he needed test subjects, but since the mice in the seven islands thrived, the homeless mice in cities from other countries would have to do. Many mice died because their bodies couldn't handle the process.**"**

**Arthur: "** And some of those subjects where members of your family?**"**

**Terry: "** My father had enough of my mother's protesting, so he made her a test subject, but she was different, unlike the other mice who dropped dead, my mother just faded away. My father saw this as a success of some kind and my father was able to make enough adjustments to his transfer device that there was a chance that a subject would survive receiving powers but there was a side effect. The subject's body would mutate, turning them into monsters, and since the subjects had a power forced onto them, their bodies exhausted themselves trying to hold something they never had before, which made the subjects go insane.**"**

" Why would your father do this to you?**"**

**Terry: "** Before my father started experimenting on me, he told me he and I were going to save the world someday, I can assume he must have some kind of reason as to why he's doing this but he never said it. But so far almost every member of my family has been turned into a monster, the only one who died was my mother. The family members who survived were taken to holding cells that were different from the ones the other test subjects who survived were in.**"**

" I was told by one you're guardians, that one the day you escaped giant metal creatures from space came and attacked the islands.**" **

**Terry: "** Yeah, it was the perfect opportunity to escape, but I did not want the islands to be destroyed so I helped my people defeat the invaders, it was risky because I could have been captured again, but my father didn't try to capture me again during the attack, and two years after I escaped the islands my father started giving chase.**"**

" If you don't mind me asking what happened during those two years.**"**

**Terry: **I'd rather tell you another time because this whole thing has gone on long enough, but just know that being powerful can attract some unwanted attention. Later you'll find that what I said to be quite the understatement.**" **

" I understand, so that all you wanted to talk about, you wanted to if I was one of your dad's creations.**"**

**Terry: "** That, and I want you to fill me in on what the heck has been happening on this island, from what Maria and the others described, it's pretty bad and it's probably going to get worse.**"**

" Oh, sure, I'll tell you.**"**

**Later**

**Terry: "** Yeah, I can back up the fact the father has a powerful sword in his collection of artifacts, and with what you told me about it, I'm convinced that it belongs to Ares.**"**

" What has me worried is that he could give the sword to Ares at any time.**"**

**Terry: "** You're right about that, with me now awake my dad is going to do something, and he is going to use Ares to do it.**"**

" Then we need to find them and stop them.**"**

**Terry: "** And I'll help, but just now that I don't have much control over my powers, and I tire easily so there's only so much I can do.**"**

" It's fine, so do you have any idea how we can find them?**"**

**Terry: "** My dad analyzed all my powers and has been able to develop countermeasures for most of them, especially my tracking abilities, so finding them will be no easy task. And I haven't fully recovered my energy yet so the only thing we can do is wait until something happens.**"**

Terry brought down the fire dome, and we walked back to the others. I noticed that both Thea and Matt were missing, but Alden assured me that they were okay. They are just outside the cave. When Terry sat down to rest again, Maria rushed at him and started acting like an overprotective mother. Terry didn't mind it but Alden found it funny. As for me, I didn't ask Terry about his mark because that would mean explaining what it is, and what he is. Terry was a good kid and while his intentions are well mannered, his mental state has me worried. He endured so much and was never given anytime to deal with them, so I'll see what I can do to help Terry overcome the trauma of his past, so until then I have other matters to deal with. 

I went outside the cave to look for Thea and Matt. The forest hides' a person's energy leaving impossible to track, but I have more than one way to track a person. Before I could start tracking, however, Thea and Matt returned. 

**Thea: "** Oh hey Arthur, you finished talking to Terry.**"**

" I did.**"**

**Thea: "** Okay tell me how it went.**"**

**Matt: "** Well, I'm going to let you two talk, I'm heading back to the cave.**"**

**Later**

**Thea: "** I honestly don't know what to say, just when I think his dad couldn't be any crueler you go and tell me this.**"**

" And Terry confirms that his dad does have Ares's sword and it probably won't long now before he gives it to him. Unfortunately, we track them so we can only wait for something to happen.**"**

**Thea: "** That sucks, but we don't have any other option, they've been pulling the strings the entire time, so it's hard to think that we'd have the edge this time.**"**

" Until then we have to have to wait.**"**

**Thea: "** Well, if that's what we have to do then how about we head home for the day, and come back later. I should tell Geronimo what we talked about.**"**

**Thea's house**

**Evening**

**Thea P.O.V**

After making it back home I called Geronimo and told him about what Arthur told me. He was just as speechless as I was but he later asked if there was some other way of stopping Ares and Eric, but I had to tell that Terry said it would be difficult since he knows how to avoid being tracked. Geronimo was disappointed and nervous over the fact that we could only react if something happened. We already know who we're fighting, we already know who's responsible for all the trouble this city has gone through but we can't go after them, we have to wait for them to make a move again. 

I hung up and sat next to Arthur and for the next few hours we just sat in silence, I was thinking about Terry and how he must be feeling about all of this, I couldn't even begin to imagine what that boy must be feeling. But Arthur said he looked determined to help us. But there was still something I wondered.

" Arthur.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yeah.**"**

" Did you ask Terry why exactly he sealed himself away in diamonds?**"**

**Arthur: "** I didn't.**"**

" Well, maybe he'll tell us why but right now, I'm just worried for him, he's gone through so much, Both him and Maria should never have gone through all that, and it upsets me that the one who hurt them is treating this whole thing as some sick game.**"**

**Arthur: "** The guy's thought of everything down to the last detail, and he's able to adapt to any unexpected situation and somehow remain in control.**"**

" I just don't know what to think about him, can he even be considered a mouse anymore?**"**

**Arthur: "** I don't know, but maybe I should ask Terry tomorrow about his dad.**"**

" Maybe wait a bit before you ask him, why not try to spend time with him first and let him get to know you first. I feel like the only reason why Terry explained his backstory was because he had too, maybe try and get him to know you before you start asking anything personally.**"**

**Arthur: "** I'll try and see if I can get him to open up.**"**

" Well I don't if Terry would like being others, so I'm going to maybe sit this one out, but maybe if you can try and get him to spend time with me, then maybe I could try to help open up to other mice again.**"**

**Arthur: "** It wouldn't hurt to try.**"**

" Great, well I'm getting kinda tired, let's go to bed.**"**

On the bed I had trouble going to sleep, I still was thinking about Terry, and everything that happened. I was thinking about what was going to happen next after all this was over. There's no way things will return to normal again, especially for us. I couldn't stop thinking about how things would be once word got out about this, I thought about how the other cities on this island, and how the citizens are reacting to what's happening here, or if they even know what is happening. If they do know then they are probably afraid to come here.

I looked at Arthur who was currently sleeping. The light of the moon shining on his face, He looked at peace. I wondered how someone who despite going through a lot himself and dealing with everything here, how was he able to sleep so soundly. I snuggled his fur to try and feel warmer and he moved and wrapped his arms around me. Holding me, he started talking in a soft, tired voice. 

**Arthur: "** What's wrong Thea.**"**

" Nothing, just having trouble sleeping.**"**

**Arthur: "** Do you want to talk about it?**"**

" No, it's fine.**"**

**Arthur: "** Are you sure, if something's bothering you, I'm here for you.**" **Arthur said, sitting up on the bed. I sat up as well and I placed my head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around me. I was silent for a bit before I looked at him.

" I'm scared.**"**

**Arthur: "** You're scared?**"**

" At everything, I'm honestly not sure how I lasted this long without having a mental breakdown. None of this makes any kind of sense, Everything was normal for me and when this whole thing started I thought it was a bit unusual but I was determined to see it through, but when you fell from the sky everything changed. Now nothing will be like how I used to know it. Especially with how sudden it all was. Everything is insane and I'm scared.**"**

**Arthur: "** Are you afraid of me?**" **Arthur said looking at me completely stone-faced 

" What?**"**

**Arthur: "** Are you afraid of me?**" **

" I-I-I...I am.**" **I said lowering my head in guilt. I know about his ability to detect lies so if I said anything else he would pick up on it which would hurt him. But looking at him I could tell that he was hurt by what I said. He moved his arm off of me but I held onto it with one and held his paw with the paw on my other arm.

**Arthur: "** I don't blame you for being afraid. After learning about how this world works, I especially can't blame you. It wasn't fair for you or anyone here to thrust into something that was beyond anything you're used to.**"**

" That night, when you fell from the sky when you fell into the ocean, my view on what's possible was changed forever, and I knew that going after you would only put me and the others I care about out into the dead center of what was going to come next. But I made the choice to dive into the water and save you. It was my decision to get involved, and all that happened is the result of my choice.**" **

**Arthur: "** Thea.**"**

" Maria was right, there would have been no way I would have survived any of the things that came next, which is why I am grateful that you stuck around When you could have easily left. Though you very much would come to save me anyways since you help those in trouble, and I did get into trouble a few times. And in time I grew to love you.**"**

**Arthur: "** I grew to love you too.**"**

" There are always going to be things that will be out of my league, but I am still willing to at least try to do something, even if it's not much. As for you Arthur, as amazed as I am at you, there was a part of me that was terrified because what you can do goes against everything I've come to know and accept as possible. And I'm sorry if what I just said hurts you, but my love for you is real because I looked past your powers and saw you for you.**" **I said leaning up to Arthur and kissed him. After a minute I broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes. 

" I love you.**"**

Arthur leaned and kissed me back and we remained that way for more than a minute, but he broke the kiss to say something.

**Arthur: "** As I said before I don't blame you for feeling overwhelmed and scared, but you still continue to try and move forward with all of you've got even when you think it might not be enough. I saw you as more than a journalist with morals, I saw you as you, you're Thea Stilton, and I love you.**"**

We hugged, afterward I started yawning, sleep was finally getting to me and I welcomed the feeling. Arthur and I layed down on the bed and cuddled. I wasn't entirely satisfied with ending things this way so before going to sleep I asked Arthur. 

" Arthur.**"**

**Arthur: "** Yes.**"**

" Do you think maybe we could kiss some more?**"**

**Arthur: "** I thought you were tired?**"**

" I am, but isn't after we have a talk like this, usually the part where a couple decides to make out, it feels like one of those moments.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well if you want to we could, I don't mind, but you did say you want to take things slowly.**"**

" I did, but maybe I can make an exception for this one.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well, as long as you're okay with it, then I won't mind, plus it really does feel like one of those moments.**"**

" I know right**,"** I said giggling

" We can be vulnerable around each other, which helps further enhance our strengths, which also brings us closer. So as long as I have you, then I can feel safe knowing you'll be there to protect me and be there for me when I feel vulnerable.**"**

**Arthur: " **And I know you'll be there for me when I feel vulnerable. You give me another reason to fight, now whenever I fight, not only will it be to protect others, but now I have someone waiting for me when the fights are over. And I promise to always come back to you.**"**

" Just don't let me go.**"**

By now the heat of the moment was too much and we just gave into our emotions. We let our emotions guide us through the night. He was mine, and I was his, there was no going back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimers from previous chapters still apply **

**And Just to be sure, I do have to say that this chapter gets dark, so just a heads up.**

**Chapter 11: Set up**

**Thea's house **

**Thea's P.O.V  
**

**Morning**

Last night was surely a night to remember. When I awoke, I was cuddling with Arthur, which wasn't anything new but snuggling against Arthur's fur gave me a sense of warmth and security. I'm certain Arthur felt the same way when he feels my fur against his. Last night Arthur and I had a bit of heart to heart which ended up bringing us closer together.

The light of the morning sun began to shine and I was happy because it meant we still had some time before getting up. I planned to enjoy the remaining time by snuggling against his fur while we still have the time. While snuggling against him I heard Arthur begin to awaken. He began to move his paws to caress my back which made me blush. He opened his eyes and we looked at each other and greeted each other lovingly.

**Arthur: "** Morning Thea.**" **

" Morning Arthur.**"**

We gave each other a good morning kiss before cuddling up and remained that way until we heard my phone ring. Our time of bliss was ruined by whoever that it was a good idea to call this early in the morning. I turned to grab my phone and answered it. The mouse on the other line was Volt. I hadn't heard from him in a bit, so I was curious why he called this early. Thinking this may have to deal with Arthur as well I put the phone on speaker.

**Volt: "** Thea, Arthur, good to hear from you two.**"**

" But did you have to call so early.**"** I was a little annoyed.

**Volt: "** I apologize for that, but I want to ask if you and Arthur can come to the lab later today?**"**

**Arthur: "** What's wrong professor, you doing alright?**"**

**Volt: "** I'm fine thank you, but I need you to come to my lab, I've got something to show you. Until then good day.**"** He quickly hung up the phone.

We wanted to know what Volt had for Arthur, so we agreed to go later in the morning, but for right now we were going to enjoy what little rest we can before really starting the day. Arthur wrapped his arms around me and we layed back down on the bed while kissing each other.

**Later**

**Volts lab**

Once it was time for us to get off the bed we quickly rushed to freshen up, eat breakfast, and made our way to Volt lab. Volt was more than happy to see, although he did look like he hadn't slept in days.

**Volt: "** Greetings you two, so glad you could make it.**" **

" We're happy to be here professor but you look like you need to go to bed.**"**

**Volt: "** I don't need sleep, I've been working nonstop on something that I believe you will love Arthur.**"** The professor said beaming with excitement.

**Arthur: "** What is it?**"**

**Volt: "** Glad you asked, follow me.**"**

The professor led us to a table in his lab where we saw a suit laying on it. The suit looked like a mix of a 1920's style of clothing mixed with some armor as some parts of the suit looked more shiny and pointy than other parts.

**Volt: "** Like it, since the suit you had before had a 1920's style, I figured I should stay with it but I decided your suit needed something to help it stand out more. If you are going to fight crime then you need to look like someone who is going to fight crime, Which is why I decided to mix the style of clothing with something from the medieval ages. Your name helped me come up with the idea. The goal was to try and see if I could mix something from two different eras together, and since I'm not that into fashion, it made it more difficult to figure out how I was going to make it work. What you see before is the result.**"**

**Arthur: "** And you spent days working on this?**"**

**Volt: "** This one is one of a few attempts, the hard thing was trying to figure out what parts of the suit should have what without making it look like two different things that were poorly stitched together. Unfortunately, it's half the story, since you are going out to fight evil I had to find a way to make it so that it can handle as much pain as you can, while also trying to find out it can work with the powers you have. And going by the materials I found that made up your original suit, I was able to come with something I think can handle what you can do.

**Arthur: "** It looks very cool professor, the parts of the suit that are made of armor blend in pretty well with the rest of the suit, while the rest of the suit retains its soft wooly texture.**"**

**Volt: "** I appreciate you telling me that, makes the sleepless night seem more worthwhile. Anyway, I'm still going to work on it but it may take me some time, I'll call you when it is finished.**"**

" Alright professor, we'll see you soon. But please be sure to get some rest.**"**

**Volt: " **I'll consider it until then have a good day.**"**

We stepped out of Volts lab and talked about what he had just shown us. While both of us liked how the suit was turning out, we did worry about the professor's health. Arthur and the professor seem to get along well, and that started making me wonder about Terry, and how he could get along with Arthur. Terry has gone through quite a bit and since wasn't able to deal with what happened it's probably left him in a pretty bad state of mind, but not just him, Maria also is probably in a pretty bad state of mind, which has left them both feeling weary of other mice. They tolerate Arthur more because he's like them, and they probably tolerate me because Arthur trust's me.

I want to help Terry and Maria get to know us better, and once we're on better terms with them then maybe we can introduce them to our friends so that they can start socializing with others and begin to start trusting mice again. Matt and Alden were already trying to do that, and since Maria looked like she was willing to give mice a chance again, then maybe this will help both her and Terry get along with mice again.

I told Arthur what I was thinking and Arthur agreed with my idea, although he suggested that we spend a few days trying to warm up Maria, and Terry to the idea of socializing with other mice before introducing them to our friends. I thought about introducing both of them to Volt but I wasn't sure because both Terry and Maria aren't on good terms when it comes to scientists but I didn't dismiss the idea, so I just shelved it for now. In the meantime, Terry and the others would spend a few days getting to know both me and Arthur better. If this plan was going to work then we needed to tell the others about it so they can be ready to see Terry and Maria when it was time to introduce them.

**Afternoon**

Arthur and I had been making trips to visit the others. Geronimo was with Ben, and Pandora at his house, Trap was at his house, and I included Hercule on the idea, and Hercule told me that he would pass go and tell Cornelius about the idea which left me nervous. I remember at the police station Cornelius was skeptical about Arthur. So if he learned about Terry and Maria then it started making me nervous since I don't know how he would react. I wasn't sure about the whole idea of letting a government agent know about him, but Hercule promised that Cornelius would be understanding and therefore a trustworthy guy to Terry but I was still a little unsure. Arthur seemed to be okay with it but he did have some concerns with Hercule's suggestion. Terry and Maria would possibly be okay with regular mice, but with a detective and a government agent, I was nervous about it because I didn't know how they would react. I know those two were friends of ours, and they were there to help us when this all started so it was only fair they knew what was going on, but I was worried for Terry and Maria's sake. Before I left Hercule I asked him about Cornelius's injury, and Hercule said that Corneilus will be fine, it'll just take time for his foot to heal. I asked Hercule to tell Cornelius that I hope he gets better and that it was nice to see him again and Hercule blushed and said it was a pleasure to see me again, and he would tell Cornelius what I said.

**Later**

**Hidden Cave**

Arthur teleported us to the hidden cave, and we made our way to Terry and the others. We saw Terry looking at the symbol on the wall but turned to us when he heard Maria call out to us. Everyone in the cave wondered why we were visiting. We told them of our plan to help Terry and Maria warm up to mice again, Alden and Matt were all for the idea while Maria and Terry were a bit on edge. It took us a while and with help from Matt and Alden, we were able to ease Terry into the idea, but we could see he was very nervous about being around other mice again, we couldn't blame him. With Terry easing into the idea, Maria was able to be convinced to give the idea a chance. So it was decided, for the first few days Terry and Maria would spend a few days knowing me and Arthur better, and after that, they will spend a day with the friends we bring. This was the only way Terry and Maria would agree to it since Arthur and I were still considered strangers to them, so they want us to spend more time with them first before they feel ready to interact with others.

**Thea's house **

**Evening**

Arthur and I were discussing what both of us would do for the next few days.

" So, any ideas for how we're going to do this? We are going to spend a while with them, so if we want this plan to work then we need to start thinking about how we're going to make it work.**"**

**Arthur: "** I decided that maybe since it will just be the two of us for the next few days then how about, the first it's with me and Terry, while you are with Maria and the others. Then for the next half of the day we switch.**"**

" Half a day each, but that still leaves with what we're going to be doing for all that time?**"**

**Arthur: "** Since Terry doesn't have control over his powers, I could train him, and since I could relate to him on a personal level, this could be something that could help us bond on a personal when it's my turn to be with Maria then perhaps I could try relating to her desire to want to protect Terry, not sure if it will help get close to her but it could be where we could start.**"**

" Guess that still leaves me and what I will be doing with both of them for the next few days. I don't have anything yet, but I might come up with something for when I hang with Terry. As for Maria, I think Matt and Alden might help me with that one, but we'll see.**"**

Now that we were done with making plans it was time for bed. We kissed each other good night and went to sleep, We were going to get up bright and early to make full use of the time we had and hopefully I would have thought of something by then.

**One week later**

**Thea's house**

**Evening**

The week moved slowly but Arthur and the others moved by really quickly. For the first three days, it was Arthur and me who spent time with Terry and Maria. Arthur did as he planned and spent days training Terry to control his powers. Terry was excited to finally be able to start learning to control his powers and both he and Arthur got along much better. It was that training that helped Terry start to open up personally which helped both Arthur and Terry form a stronger bond since Arthur went through things himself. As for me, I didn't know what I could do to help improve my bond with Terry since he and I never met before. When Terry first saw me he was very nervous but Arthur assured him that it was going to be fine, and for the bit, Terry would hardly say anything. I tried to start some conversations about random topics but I was met with an awkward silence. I didn't feel sure that I would be able to form at least a small bond with Terry, that was until I started talking about Art where he started talking to me. I remembered Arthur told about Terry's mother and how she was a talented artist, and since I have an interest in art myself I realized that this could be what gets Terry to open up. Surely enough it worked, through our conversations about art Terry and I were able to start a friendship. He even asked if I could show him that art that I have in my house. I was thrilled to get somewhere with this kid, he even mentioned that he practices his art from time to time because it helps him relieve the moments he had with her, and while he was only four when he started seeing her less and less until he finally lost her, being able to draw makes him feel like he's getting closer with her.

When it came to Maria, it was a bit more challenging for Arthur than it was for me. For me and Maria, we were able to start pretty well, mostly due to the argument we made a little while ago where we managed to resolve some issues. So bonding with Maria wasn't that difficult. Since Maria had been out in the city before I figured the best way to bond with her would be to show her some things girls here on Earth do. Matt and Alden said they would stay and help Arthur watch over Terry since he was training him. She didn't feel like leaving Terry but trusted them to help Arthur watch over him. Before leaving the cave Maria had to disguise herself so she had Matt put a necklace on her which turned her into a mouse. When I saw her I was taken back to that moment when I was tied up in that van, watching as Arthur was talking with another woman. Arthur told me that the woman she was talking to was Maria and that their conversation was about Terry's past. That didn't do much in helping me feel less awkward about her appearance. While her appearance did catch me off guard, I wasn't going to let it bother me, It was thanks to Arthur and my brother that I was able to move past those events and not let them get to me anymore. I took Maria shopping and showed her plenty of other sites within the city while we talked about things. She wanted to know more about the city and its people and was happy to satisfy her curiosity. In the days that followed we managed to become friends, though she did refuse to say anything about herself. As for Arthur, Maria took Arthur out of the cave and had him follow her to wherever she wanted to go while I was left watching Terry with Matt and Alden. When Arthur and Maria came back they were both exhausted and the clothes Arthur had on would look both torn and scorched. I asked Arthur what they did, but Maria responded by saying that they flew somewhere on the island where they could fight peacefully which was at the top of the mountains. I asked why they were fighting and Maria responded that it was the best way the two could get along, and it was her way of getting over any frustration she had towards Arthur and that it was worth it as they were now on good terms.

With the few days they spent with us, both Maria and Terry, had warmed up to the idea of meeting our friends, so it was finally time to move on with the next part of the plan. We had been spending time with Terry and the others for three days, so for the fourth day, we would invite Geronimo, Ben, Pandora, and Trap over to hang out with them. Ben, Pandora, and Trap were excited to go while Geronimo was shaking because he didn't know what to expect. When they arrived at the cave and met Terry and Maria, Ben and Pandora were excited to see another mouse with powers and a dragon, they were more excited about the dragon than anything else, while Geronimo almost passed out when Maria got close to them. Matt and Alden provided a more welcoming experience for the kids and Geronimo and the kids became fond of Matt and Alden, especially since Matt would tell stories about their crazy adventures. While Terry and Maria interacted with the others, Terry would occupy himself by training with Arthur, which the kids enjoyed seeing as they got to see different powers than ones they've seen Arthur use. Terry then decided to try and put on some performances to entertain the mouselings, it was still training but Terry and Arthur were able to make it into a performance. While Terry and Arthur trained, Maria would perform as well which amazed everyone with how well choreographed they were. Some of her performances had her perform as a mouse, or remain a dragon, or constantly change from one to the other. It was difficult for Maria and Terry to warm up to Trap since he would ask a lot of questions which got annoying, and making himself look silly with his comedy attempts which failed, Matt did find them amusing and he would make some bad jokes that were bad as well, so they got along rather fine. Terry and Maria did grow to tolerate him by the end of the day which made the day a complete success.

The next day we had planned for Hercule and Cornelius to come and see them but they both declined since Cornelius wasn't allowed to leave the hospital, and Hercule was very busy with work. But they did express their anticipation to go and see Terry and the others. Cornelius was happy to see that I was okay since he remembered what happened at the police station. When he saw Arthur he asked him if he was the guy that Hercule was talking about, and Arthur admitted it. Cornelius thought to himself for a moment before asking to shake Arthur's paw. He thanked him for saving him and all of the victims who were abducted, and for saving me when I was abducted in the police station. Cornelius asked about what Arthur and I had planned because he was told by Hercule that we were going to introduce them to someone. He didn't want to be told of it because he wanted to keep it a surprise, but he did say that no matter he would show that he can be trusted with whatever we planned to show him. It was a relief to Arthur and Cornelius getting along and that Cornelius would try to be friends with the ones we're going to introduce to him, although he may freak out when he sees Maria. I just hope it goes well.

Since we couldn't introduce them to Terry and the others, so I thought of introducing Volt to them instead. I asked Arthur and he wasn't entirely sure with the idea, because seeing a scientist may make both Terry and Maria experience flashbacks with their experiences with scientists. After all, if Terry looking at that symbol on the cave wall was the reason why he sealed himself away, seeing Volt may trigger flashbacks in both Terry and Maria. While the idea wasn't dismissed entirely, Arthur believed that it would be better to wait for a little before introducing Volt to them.

What we chose to do for the remainder of the week was to invite Terry to several places throughout New Mouse City, so that he may grow accustomed to being with other mice in populated places. If Maria was able to then maybe getting Terry to do it should be possible. The next few days were Arthur and me, taking Terry to see the sites in new mouse city, Terry's guardians came along just in case. Convincing Terry to step out into the cave wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, Terry, After spending time with Arthur and my family expressed a desire to see the city where we lived, even though he was nervous. Once in the city Terry had trouble getting used to seeing so many mice in one place again, he almost used his powers a few times but Matt and Alden were able to keep him under control. For these training exercises, Matt, and Alden took charge of Terry while Arthur and I showed them the sites, while Maria had to deal with a few mice hitting on her but she quickly scared them off.

It was a challenging week, but it was well worth it. Terry and Maria have shown amazing progress in opening up to other mice again, even if they didn't want to admit it. It was almost the end of the week and pretty soon it would be the start of the new week. Arthur and I were cuddling in bed when I asked him how we should celebrate for helping Terry and Maria give mice a chance again.

" So how do you think we should celebrate?**"**

**Arthur: " **I think we should invite them out to eat a restaurant we haven't gone to yet.**"**

" I was thinking we could invite them to our house and make a feast for them. Both of us can cook so we could whip up something together.**"**

**Arthur: "** That too.**"**

Things were going pretty well for us. I started kissing Arthur and asked him if we should make out again since we haven't done it in a while.

" So Arthur, I've been feeling in the mood for the past couple of minutes and I think you and I should spend some quality time together.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well, I don't mind, as long as you're okay with it.**"  
"** I'm okay with it, but this time I wouldn't mind if we got a little carried away**,"** I said unbuttoning my pajamas while trying to sound as seductive as I can. I saw Arthur's tail begin to move around the bed quickly in arousal.

**Arthur: "** Are you sure Thea, it does seem a little much.**"**

" I'm not saying we should get too carried away, just that we should have a bit more fun this time.**"**

**Arthur: "** Well, in that case, I don't mind, just tell when we go too far and we'll stop.**"**

" Less talking, more loving**,"** I said to him, before we wrapped arms around each other and started making out again, this time planning to enjoy it more than the other times we made out.

**Morning.**

Another day, and another chance for Arthur and me to spend more time together. This past may have been spent helping others but last night was just between me and Arthur. Waking up I felt most of the fur rub against his as I tried moving. We were in another embrace, and I blushed from how close we almost were to getting too carried away. I didn't want to wake Arthur up this time so I remained still and thought about what Arthur and I should do today. We did discuss having a party today, but if we were going to do that then we need to buy groceries first. I was thinking about doing some shopping for some dresses later, I was debating if I should dress my best for this party or if I should start dressing my best when Arthur is around just to tease him.

When Arthur finally awoke, we kissed good morning to each other before we got off from the bed and headed for the showers. I went first and he went next. While Arthur was in the shower I went ahead and made us something to eat. When we both started eating our breakfast we talked about the party for Terry and Maria. Arthur offered to go and buy the groceries we'll need, while I clean the house in preparation for the party. It would make things go faster since we'd be doing two things at once, but I wasn't sure about being left alone, because of the possibility of being mouse napped again. We decided to clean the house, then we'd go shopping together.

**Later**

Cleaning the house was easy while shopping for groceries took some time with how long the lines were to check out, but we got everything we needed for the party. What we needed now were clothes to look our best. I already had dresses but buying a new one wouldn't hurt, the other reason was so I could tease Arthur with what I was wearing. At the clothes store, Arthur wasn't willing to try out the clothes they had there since he could already make his own he asked why I didn't ask him to make me some new clothes for me to wear. I made a quick joke about how the clothes he would make for me would come from how he envisions me with them, which made me laugh from how much he was blushing.

For the next thirty minutes I was trying on new clothes, I had trouble deciding what to wear. I tried dresses with short skirts, long skirts, I had tried putting on hats which looked cute, and soon it wasn't about trying to find clothes for the party but instead just out of having fun. It was like this when I took Maria shopping. She wasn't on board with the idea since she stays in her dragon form most of the time, but I did ask her to consider the possibility that if one day Terry want to live amongst mice again then she's might have started getting used to disguising herself as a mouse, which means making sure she has all the clothes she'll need to help fit in.

I heard the footsteps of another mouse entering the lady's dressing room with what I think was a suitcase. There were small openings at the bottom of the dressing rooms so all I could see were her feet and the small wheels of the suitcase she brought in with her. She had entered the dressing room next to mine and left the suitcase out of her dressing room. She started trying on the clothes she brought in when she knocked on the wall to my dressing room and started talking to me.

**?: "** Um, excuse me if I may trouble you for a moment?**"** The woman said in a soft, nervous voice.

" Oh, I don't mind, what can I help you with?**"**

**?: "** I'm having trouble deciding on what kind of clothes I should wear for a celebration I am having with my husband soon.**"**

" Is it an anniversary?**"**

**?: "** That and other things, I just found out I'm pregnant, both my husband and I also just finished working on a very special project and I don't know how we should celebrate those occasions and I don't know how I should tell my husband about the pregnancy.**"**

" Oh congratulations, how far along are you? Oh, if I may add, those are quite the occasion, I don't know how much help I could be.**"**

**?: "** It's alright, I just wanted some ideas, I'm not asking for you to tell me what I should do, just some suggestions."

" Well, for the anniversary thing, how about a trip to the beach, and just the celebration for the other occasions there as well since the beach is a good place to go. As for the pregnancy thing, I believe you should wait until the sunset as it would create the perfect moment for the reveal. By the way, what is this project that you and your husband just finished?**"** I said while staring at the mirror and taking off my clothes, and looking at the other dresses to try on.

**?: "** It's nothing special, just something me and my husband have been working on for the past couple of months since we've arrived here on mouse island.**" **She said as I heard her step out of her dressing room. Something about how she said that started making me feel uncomfortable so I asked hesitantly.

" What kind of project was it?**"**

**?: "** It's something, It got difficult to finish it because of all the unexpected setbacks. But now we've managed to finish it, now all we need are the finishing touches to see it complete.**"**

" And that would be?**" **I said getting nervous. I wasn't even looking for a dress to put on, my heart started to beat rapidly as I sensed that something wasn't right about this conversation.

**?: "** You.**" **She said, opening the curtain to my dressing room. I didn't have time to react, she quickly moved and punched me and I quickly turned to look at her in response to the curtain opening so suddenly. The punch was enough to knock to the floor and as things quickly started getting darker I was able to get a glance at who it was that hit me.

" Cou...rtney**"** Was all I could before falling unconscious. But in the darkness, I swear I was able to hear her say something.

**Courtney: "** Now the fun begins.**"**

**Clothes Store **

**Arthur P.O.V**

**30 minutes later**

I know Thea had picked up a bunch of clothes, but I don't think it would take that long to try them all. Maybe she was still deciding on what clothes she should buy. I didn't know, but I wasn't sure what was going on in the lady's changing room. The only things I could see while waiting were some mice walking by to get to other isles of the store, I heard children complaining why their mom or dad didn't want to buy them clothes they thought looked cool, and spending my time counting from one to however far I could go. I did another woman walk into the changing room while pulling a suitcase but she was the only other woman walking in there, and she was there for about a couple minutes before getting out and walking to check out of the store. While waiting another woman who looked like she worked here approached me.

**Female** **employee: "** Excuse me, sir, finding everything all right?**"**

" Yeah I'm doing okay, I'm just waiting for my girlfriend to finish trying on some clothes.**"**

**Female employee: "** Oh, you have a girlfriend?**"**

" Yes, she's been trying out trying out a lot of outfits so I have to wait until she's done.**"**

While we were talking a female security guard came to the dressing rooms and walked into the ladies dressing room, after a minute she came back and started asking me questions.

**Female guard: "** Excuse me sir, but do know the women who walked in here with all these clothes.**" **She said while holding up all the clothes that I remember seeing Thea pick up to try on.

" Yes, she's my girlfriend**," **I said getting up from the floor.

**Female guard: "** Well, do you know where she is?**"**

" She should still be in there, I didn't see her leave the dressing room.**"**

**Female guard: " **Hold on one second please.**" **She pulled out her radio to talk to someone.

She was talking to a mouse who was looking at the monitors to ask if he had seen Thea walk out of the lady's dressing room. He got back to her and said that she never left, but she was nowhere in the dressing room. The video did show Thea entering the dressing rooms and starting changing but after a couple of minutes the video glitches and she's no longer there. It took him a bit to notice because he would take a glance at all the monitors before going back to check on his phone, and with so many monitors he wasn't able to pick up on the one that was recording the dressing room Thea was in. When he noticed that the dressing room was empty but still had a pile of clothes laying on the floor, he assumed that she left all those clothes there on purpose, so she called someone to pick them up. But after he noticed me still waiting there, he reversed the footage and to see if I had been there the whole time as he waited while Thea walked into the changing room. Seeing the footage of me still waiting and seeing the footage Thea was in glitch out made him call another security guard to investigate.

Hearing all this made me very worried about Thea's safety. I asked the guard if there was anything else in the room Thea was in, and the guard pulled out her phone and said that was all that was left with the rest of the clothes. I asked if she could hand it to me since I could give it back to her when I see her again, and she handed it over to me. That still left one question on everyone's minds, where was Thea? I looked at the pile of clothes the security guard had and I noticed some familiar clothes. After checking my suspicions were correct, these were the clothes that Thea usually wears, they were also the ones I saw her walk into the changing room with. Growing more worried I wondered what could have happened, the most likely scenario was that she was abducted. If she was then this wasn't good, then something crossed my mind, I was thinking back to while I was waiting for Thea, I saw another woman walk in with a suitcase and after a few minutes, she walked out. I told the security guard of my suspicions, and she relayed them to the guard that was checking the monitors. After a short wait, he got back to us and told us that the footage does show a woman walking into the dressing room and have a conversation with Thea, but then the footage glitches out and their both gone and all that's left is two dressing rooms, one that's empty and the other full of clothes and the lady with the suitcase walking out the dressing rooms and passing by me. One thing he mentioned was that the timestamps from the footage are different before and after the footage glitches. I asked how much is the difference and he responded that there was a five-minute gap.

I started feeling sick because I saw that woman with the suitcase, walking out, and with all this information, there was no doubt about it. Thea was in that suitcase and I just let that woman walk away with her. I fell onto the floor feeling light-headed and the employee grabs me and helps slowly lower myself onto the floor.

**Female Employee: "** Sir, are you okay?**" **

" I'm not okay, my girlfriend was mouse napped**," **I said in a daze.

The employee and the security guard both looked at each other and realized it made sense, although the guard looked like she had realized it before the employee did. She asked the guard on the monitor to see if he saw where she went. While we waited she helped the employee find a place to sit down and calm down. When the guard checking the monitors called back, he said that he saw the women leave through one of the emergency exits, but no alarms went off. When he said what emergency exit the women walked out of, I immediately got up and ran to that emergency exit. The guard and the employee gave chase and were telling me I stop and let the authorities handle it but I didn't listen. I ran to the emergency exit and phased right through it. The clothes phased through along with me because when I made the clothes I mixed it with some of my fur. This makes the clothes phase through with me.

The emergency exit led to another side of the parking lot and using my echo ability I gave chase after Thea's abductor. I tracked the echo to the car out in the corner of the parking lot when I reached I saw the echo of the suitcase begin to shake. The woman opened the back of the car, placed the suit inside, and opened the suitcase. I saw Thea, bound and gagged, emerge from the suitcase, struggling to free herself from her bonds while the lady laughed. The lady grabbed Thea, lifting her out of the suitcase and laying her down on the trunk of the car. The lady then slammed the trunk shut and went to start the car. When the car started, I looked to see who was driving and recognized the women as Courtney. Suddenly, the echos faded away, I tried getting the echoes to appear again but they wouldn't. I remembered learning from Terry that his father had developed countermeasures for many of Terry's powers, some of those included Terry's tracking abilities. Without any way to track them I didn't know what to do, how was I going to find mice who were good at hiding. While trying to come up with a plan I felt Thea's phone vibrate, I pulled the phone out of my pocket, thinking it was Geronimo. It wasn't Geronimo, instead, it was a photo of Thea, in the trunk crying, following the image was a message saying to wait for instructions but that she'll leave me with what to expect if I don't listen to her. She then sent me another photo, it was the same grocery shop that Thea and I went to earlier. What was she left with? I didn't but what I did know was that it was anything but good.

I made my way to the grocery store, and there was a massive crowd of people. I had to get through them so I turned invisible and flew over them. I saw a crime scene, several bodies lay on the floor, but what got me was that these were the bodies of a family. Two adults and three young ones. Two looked like teenagers, but one of them did look younger, while the last child was the youngest of the children. I had to know what happened, so using my echo ability I saw what happened. Cortney had parked her car near the end of the parking lot underneath a tree that was there. She had gone to check on Thea who from the looks of it was making a lot of noise. When the trunk was opened Thea sat up and started making as much noise as possible while trying to escape her binds, Courtney places Thea in a chokehold, but she did have a bit of trouble as Thea was thrashing about trying to keep Courtney away from her while also trying to get someone's attention. Courtney's echo then quickly turned to look at someone, it was the echo of a man who was calling out to her, behind was wife and children who were staying back from what they were seeing. The man had his phone out and looked like he was calling the police when Courtney pulled out a weapon and shot the man. The gun Courtney used wasn't like any other gun, for it had blown a large chunk of the man's head right off, while his family watched horrified. They were about to run but Cortney gunned each of them down where they stood from where she was standing. The floor the family stood in was now flooding with their blood and bits of them were now scattered around the floor. Thea watched and started to cry from what she had just witnessed. Thea had stopped resisting and Courtney layed her back down and said some things to her which made Thea cry even more. Courtney pulled out her phone and snapped a photo before slamming the trunk and going back to start the car. That's where the echo faded.

I flew away from the site and landed on a rooftop before becoming visible again. I didn't what to say to what I just saw, but the question I had was why didn't Courtney just leave her threat with the photo of Thea, why did she have to go so far and do that to an innocent family. I couldn't even begin to figure out why, but what I did know was that if I tried anything, then what Cortney would do to Thea, would be worse than what she did to that family. So I could do nothing except wait for Cortney to contact me.

**Afternoon**

It had been a few hours and I had been waiting over in Thea's house just thinking about what to do. I couldn't risk doing anything if it meant that Thea would get hurt. I looked at the T.V and the news about what happened to that family aired, the Daily Rat were reporting on it, and soon after I started getting text messages from Geronimo asking Thea if she heard what had happened, and if she did then she should tell me about it so that I can help solve it. I wasn't sure how to respond to Geronimo's text, the last thing I wanted him to do was worry about his sister again, but even then I wasn't sure if I was allowed to tell him. Courtney is watching through this phone, which also means she's keeping tabs on the messages. I don't know how long Courtney wanted me to wait but that was I all I could do for now. I can only hope Thea was okay.

**Meanwhile **

**Unknown location**

**Thea: "**Mrrr nrhhnng mrrm hhrn r hrnch rh mrnhhmrh rmh mm gr rnghh nrm.**"**

**Courtney: "** How much longer do we have to wait I'm getting bored of waiting.**"**

**Max: "** Not much longer, fortunately for me, Eric has given what I needed to complete my part of the plan.**"**

**Courtney: "** What about me? What about the other thing I'm supposed to do? I've been having to deal with this bitch's crying and muffled shouting for hours.**"**

**Max: " **Why don't you just amuse yourself like you always do?**"**

**Thea: "** N nrnh chnrm mhrh rnm rh mrr rrm hrrnnnng hrh mrr'rm nrh grnng hr gmh rmrm mnhh hhnh.**"**

**Courtney: "** You see! That is why, no matter what I do, I'm only met with muffled noises, it's not even funny anymore, if I can't hear them shout for help then what's the point.**"**

**Max: "** You already know why you can't, it would draw attention. We're close to the final stages of the plan, so we can't afford any more setbacks at this moment. Which reminds me, what you did over in the store wasn't part of the plan.**"**

**Courtney: "** It wasn't my fault she wouldn't shut up.**"**

**Max: "** and yet you parked near a store where random mice, who were going to shop there, could potentially hear or see what you're doing.**"**

**Courtney: "** I was a split-second decision, obviously I didn't work out well, but hey can you do?**"**

**Max: "** Waste my time cleaning up after you, you're lucky things like this are easy to handle.**"**

**Courtney: '** But she still knows about it, and her boyfriend knows about it.**"**

**Thea: "** Nrnh hrrch mm mrr mnhch**"**

**Max: " **I wouldn't worry about that. Anyway, this is the lovely Thea Stilton. I must say you look more beautiful in person.**"**

**Thea: "** Mhm, mhm rrm mrr nrnng hhnh, nr mrr rmrrrm hhnnch hhnh nh hhm hmhh mrm hr rchnmhm mhrh mrr mrnh?**"**

**Max: "** unfortunately, the things we do, can't be achieved by playing nice.**"**

**Courtney: "** You understood that?**"**

**Max: "** After a while, you begin to start making out what they are saying. But not the point, I must say, Ms. Stilton, I'm impressed with your determination to try and find your friends even if it was pointless, and I'm more impressed that despite what you've gone through, you're still willing to fight. And may I add, your fur is quite soft, especially around the stomach area, I've learned that you can make really warm coats with a female's fur.**"**

**Courtney: " **He's not wrong you know, the difficult part is getting the fur in the first place, since not many mice are willing to go furless, especially during the winter season. But don't worry you're not losing your fur. Can't have someone as beautiful as you go and lose their fur now do we, I mean how would your boyfriend feel if he couldn't feel your fur anymore.**"**

**Thea: "** Mrr'rm nnhrnm, rrr rh mrr, mrr'rm nrh mncm mrr'rm mrnhhmrh. Hrm mrr crn hhrnn hhmrm rnn hrrch rhrrh rrr hhnh rh nh nhh nrrmrr nh nnhrnm, N crn'h mhmn hmgnn hr nmrgnnm mhrh rhhmr hrrrmrh mrr hrh Hmrrm, rnn Mrrnr hhrrrgh. Mrr'rm rrr mrnhhmrh.**"**

**Max: "** Come now, don't look so down, it will all be over soon. All we need now is to receive the go-ahead and this can finally reach its end.**"**

**Eric: "** Everything is all set, you may begin the next phase of the plan.**"**

**Courtney: "** Oh goody, I've been waiting to hear you say that, about time too.**"**

**Eric: "** So this is that journalist that has been trying to get in our way. Adorable how you believed that. Anyway, I am Eric, pleased to make your acquaintance. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to talk. Max, I gave you what you requested, now that you have it, you should be on your way. As for you Courtney, I've received word that everything has been set up as you instructed.**"**

**Courtney: "** Finally, let's get to work. You're coming with me Stilton.**"**

**Thea: "** Nrrrrr**"**

**Max: "** Eric, what about Ares?**"**

**Eric: "** Leave him to me. It's time we finished this.**"**

**Thea's house**

**Arthur P.O.V**

Thea's phone vibrated after receiving another text, I thought it was from Geronimo again, so quickly checked it. It wasn't geronimo, but instead, Courtney, who sent an image of herself caressing Thea's stomach, from the image it looked like Thea was tied to a chair. She looked scared while Courtney looked pleased. A message quickly followed telling me where to go and that I had to get by fast. I put the phone in my pocket and made my way to the location she wanted me to go in.

The journey wasn't long, at least not long for anyone who can get around quickly. I found myself in a section of the city that looked more run down and abandoned. I remembered this place, it was the same place I found Thea in when she was being tortured. I did wonder what became of the mice that tortured Thea, I doubted they were still at that building after regaining consciousness. Being in this section of the city again made for some uncomfortable feelings, but I was here to find Thea, so I continued following the directions. I made it to an old abandoned warehouse that looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. If Thea was in here then I have to be careful, I didn't know what traps Courtney laid out, but I would find out.

Opening the door to the warehouse I carefully made my way in. They were large boxes inside the warehouse, so my first thought was that Thea would be in one of these, and the others would have some deadly trap. I started to hear muffled noises coming from one of the boxes near the center of the warehouses so I checked it out. Opening it there was Thea, who didn't look relieved to see me and instead, she was kicking me away from here. I told her that I was here to save her and I removed her gag so she could speak clearly.

**Thea: "** You shouldn't be here! You need to go now!**"** She said as I tried to untie her, but she wouldn't let me. I noticed a phone next to her with a message taped to it. I picked it up and the message said that I would need to start using this new phone instead of hers. Confused, but I was more worried about Thea at the moment, I didn't understand why she was stopping me from untying her, getting the gag off was a little difficult with how much she resisted. Suddenly I started hearing a beeping noise coming from underneath Thea, sound was underneath some hay, moving the hay until I found what was underneath it. I found that at the bottom of the hay there were explosives. The bombs looked ready to detonate, suddenly I started hearing beeping from everywhere else in the warehouse. I tried grabbing Thea but she headbutted, which knocked me back in confusion.

" Thea, what are you doing?!**"**

**Thea: "** Please Just go!**"** She said crying.

At that moment the warehouse exploded, and Thea and I were caught right in the middle of it. When I awoke, all I could see what fire and Debris, The injuries I obtained were quickly healed. As for Thea, I could see her, I was frozen the moment I realized that I had lost her.

"THEA!**"** I screamed.

I began to break down in tears, after everything she and I had been through together, after promising that I would protect her, she was gone. I got hysterical, screams only getting louder and I tried to look for whatever remained of her. How was I going to tell Geronimo and the other that Thea was gone, I couldn't imagine how they would take it. I checked the spot Thea was in before the explosion I noticed had remnants of a strange liquid, I noticed it after I stepped on it. I fell on my knees and curled onto the floor in defeat. What was I going to do now, I had lost the woman I loved for good this time. I pulled the remnants of Thea's phone out of my messed up pocket and looked at it before bringing it closer to me and I was about to continue crying when the sound of phone ringing interrupted me.

I got up in confusion, for a moment I thought that Thea's phone was somehow still working but that thought was quickly dashed away when looking at the phone again. I could still hear the sound of a ringing, but it wasn't coming from the phone I was holding, it was coming from close by. I looked around and saw a bright blue light that was partially covered by small pieces of debris. I moved the debris and saw the phone that was next to Thea when she was moving around in the box. I picked it up, the phone was still in good condition, other than being covered in the dust there was no visible damage to it. I answered the phone and heard a familiar voice.

**Courtney: "** Got you good.**" **I heard Courtney say.

"You**,"** I said with rage.

**Courtney: "** Relax big boy, that wasn't her. You gotta love clones. I bet you felt like quite the failure when you both got swallowed up by the explosion, especially when she was so close to you.**"** She said sounding pleased that her attempt to break me worked. However, now that I know that it wasn't the real Thea, I felt relieved knowing she was still alive. But still, the feeling that I failed her was there and I still felt the pain of loss.

**Courtney: "** She's still alive, although I don't know for how much longer.**"** She said, still sounding pleased. As she spoke, I began to hear muffled screams of another mouse who was with Courtney, though the noises sounded a little distant. No doubt it was Thea, knowing she was still alive made so relieved. But she was still in danger, I had to save her.

**Courtney: " **We're going to play a game. The real Thea is with me, but I am about to leave her in a pretty deadly situation. Her clones are in similar situations all around the island and your job will be to guess which Thea is the real Thea. You save a Thea and it turns out to be a clone, then I've left a surprise for you, but if you're too late then you'll know if it was a fake or not since these types of clones turn to mud when they die. I'll send you the coordinates to all of Thea's locations. You have a certain amount of time to find and save the real one, but I'm not sure how long she will last till then. Also, there's no cheating, so no cloning yourself to try and get to all the locations on time. Once I send you the coordinates, the game begins, good luck hero.**" **

She hung up the phone and I was just standing there in the middle of what was once a warehouse. Dumbfounded, The flames that still burned the remains of the warehouse were still burning internally, but the heat from the flames, I could no longer feel as I was more worried about the situation then being burned by the flames. If these clones were what I thought they were, then I had better find the real Thea and fast.

The phone vibrated and I quickly checked to see the message she had to me. The message was a list of coordinates to different locations around Mouse Island. Almost as quickly as the first message came, another message came soon after. This time the message was filled with images of Thea, bound and gagged, and each image had her in different situations, each that would have her meet a brutal end. With the coordinates given to me, I had to move now. I didn't know how this was going to end but what I did know was that it was going to get bloody.

**Later**

They do try to make you feel as hopeless as possible. None of them were the real Thea, they were all clones, but didn't make some of the sights I saw, or pain that I experienced any easier. As I tried to save each clone, each one would try to push me away while trying to say something that I sure was them trying to say that they were a clone of something that meant saving them was pointless since they were going to die anyway. The clones I saved I was able to get them out of whatever was going to kill them but afterward the clones would explode. The clones didn't have explosives strapped to them, or they didn't have any kind of incision to suggest that surgery had been performed on them, so what I could assume is that they were forced to swallow the explosive. If they were, then the explosive would have to have been small enough for the clones to swallow, but despite the size of the explosives, they were still powerful. That was the surprise she had mentioned while on the phone.

It got worse from there, some of the clones I arrived to save, were already being killed by what Courtney had set up for them. I rushed to save them but they turned to mud when I got to them. There was an explosive in those clones as well but they didn't go off, what that meant to me was that those clones were remotely triggered, which also meant that Courtney had been watching from another location, waiting to trigger the explosive once I saved the clone. The remaining clones that were on the list were already dead when I arrived.

The memories of what these clones experienced were no in the memories of the original. I couldn't even begin to think about how the real Thea was taking it. I was stone cold, I didn't know how to react to this anymore, my mind was blank and the only emotions I felt was pain and sorrow. But the real Thea was still out there somewhere on the island, when I thought of her reacting to the memories that were flooding into her mind I thought of Courtney, and all the pain she had caused her. Rage started to boil, I couldn't contain my anger. I didn't know how I was going to react but, I knew as soon as I saw her I was going to lose it. What I desired more than anything was to see her pay and to once again hold Thea in my arms. Nothing else mattered at that moment, only my desire to take down Courtney and hold Thea again was all that mattered.

The phone rang once again, just as before Courtney was on the other side, sounding just as pleased with herself.

**Courtney: "** The game is over, and I have won.**"**

" Courtney**"**

**Courtney: "** No doubt you're angry with me, but even though you lost the game, I'm still giving you back to her. She needs someone at the moment and since I had my fun, she's all yours. Just head to the coordinates I'll send you and I'll give you to her. Be quick now, she's been hysterical so you better get over here.**"**

When the call ended, I quickly received another message with the coordinates to Thea's location. Not wasting time I opened a portal and headed there.

**Random Cave**

The coordinates sent me to the entrance of a random cave, going in it I wondered what other traps Courtney had for me so I had remained on guard. The problem was that I had used up a lot of energy, so things were going to be difficult for me. After some walking I started to see a glowing light in the distance, I wondered if it would be like what I saw in the cave Terry was in. I entered a cavern that was much larger than the chasm Terry hid in, and this cavern had the same kind of gems that the other did, the gems illuminated the entire caver. This cavern had rivers flowing through it, and plenty of tall rocks scattered around the cavern, and sharp ones hanging from the roof of the cavern. It was rather beautiful, but my attention quickly turned to Thea who I saw on top of one of the rocks. Courtney was her, her arm wrapped around her as she looked down on me with a sinister smile. What got me was Thea's expression. It was of someone who had been completely traumatized by the horrible memories that had flooded into her mind.

**Courtney: "** Got to say, man, your girlfriend does not look good. I would say she's cried enough tears to make the rivers you see flowing through here. Oh and those rope burns do not look good, they've been bleeding pretty badly but yet she continues to try and free herself from her bonds. I think she's ready to see you now.**"**

When Thea looked at me, she quickly started to try and move away from Courtney, to try and to get to me, Even if it meant that she would fall off the rock. Courtney still held on to her and pulled her back and brought her closer to her.

**Courtney: "** Hold on there Thea, not just yet.**"**

Not being able to hold back my rage I quickly used my blood ability to turn most of my body into a weapon, Tailes, arms, and making armor, and prepared to get Thea back.

**Courtney: "** Okay I guess we're doing this now1**"! **Courtney shouted amused.

She snapped her fingers and several monsters emerged from some of the larger rocks scattered around the cavern. These weren't the mice I fought back at the airport, while the I fought back in the airport had one ability, the ones that emerged from the rocks looked like a mix of several powers. I didn't have that much energy so I had to finish this fight quickly, but because these monsters had several abilities, they were able to use them all at once. Attacking like wild animals I tried to hold my own against them but they overpowered me and all started to pound me into a pulp. Blood started flying and I lost an arm, leg, ear, and lost my tail, my other limbs had chucks of them missing. I was a bloody mess, I even tried using the blood I lost as a weapon against them but it didn't do much against them.

**Thea: "** Nn pmmnphm, hm'ph hnn mnnngh pmmnphm phphnp N mnfm hnm.**"** Thea tried shouting something out but all she could get out was muffled noises.

Courtney had an amused look on her face, she was enjoying seeing the sight of me being beaten torn apart. She then shouted for them to stop and return to her, the monsters quickly did as they were told and stopped attacking me and started running back to her. I was just laying on the ground, beaten, broken, bleeding, everything hurt but the only thing I had on my mind was Thea and how I was going to lose her again. She was right there but now I couldn't even get up and reach for her, not even sure if I could reach for her, everything was in pain.

I looked over to Thea to see her, she was still trying to get away from Courtney while she was looking at me, crying even more. Courtney then pushed Thea from the rock they were on and she fell and hit the floor below. The impact knocked out all the air in Thea because she started wheezing for a minute. She started to breathe through her nose again, after catching her breath she started to squirm her way to me, while all I could do was watch.

**Courtney: "** As entertaining a punching bag as you are to my pets, I'm afraid there's no more satisfaction in making you both experience pain. Anyway, I bought enough time for others to do their thing. What do I mean? Well during this whole thing, Max had paid a visit to Terry and his guardians, it took him a while to get through the forest but he made it but he did his job. As for my master, he's about to hand over the sword to Ares.**"**

" No.**"** was the only thing I could say, but I couldn't shout it, so it sounded like a whisper.

**Courtney: "** Anyway, I'll be going now, see you lovebirds later.**"**

Courtney walked away and the monsters walked away with her. Thea and I were now alone in the cavern. Thea eventually made it to me and started snuggling against my fur despite how bloody most of it was.

" Thea,"I said quietly trying to snuggle her but my body was unable to move. All I could do was move my head slightly to look at her.

" I'm sorry**,"** I said to her. There was nothing else I could do at the moment but apologize to her. Thea looked at me and leaned in to rub her nose against mine. When she stopped she looked at me and moved in to snuggle with the bloody mess that was me.

**Thea: "** Nrphhnr, N mnfm mnn.**"** was all she could say as she placed her head underneath mine as she tried snuggling with me. I leaned in to try and kiss her forehead and braced for what was coming. I didn't know what was going to happen next but it was going to get worse.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still applies.  
**

**Chapter 12: Confrontation  
**

**The Rodent's Gazette**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

**Afternoon**

Last week was an interesting one, as it was spent with us trying to help Terry and his Guardian Maria, trust mice again. It was scary because I didn't know what to expect, and I wasn't expecting to see a dragon. I almost passed out from fright, but the day turned out pretty well as I got to interact with Terry and his guardians. I was more able to get along with Matt and Alden well, but I find that I get along better with Alden. Maybe it's because he serves as more of the voice of reason within the group, but it doesn't make me any less nervous knowing the people he surrounds himself with. He may be an ordinary mouse, but his life is anything but ordinary. Overall it was an experience, and I do believe Thea and Arthur's plan to help them worked out well.

Speaking of Thea and Arthur, I haven't heard from them for most of the day. I assume that they dedicated the day to spending time with each other, which I didn't mind but I still can't help but worry for my sister. The day took a dark turn when I started hearing that an entire family had been found murdered in a parking lot. Thinking for how this family could receive justice, I texted Thea, to ask her to tell Arthur about what happened and see if he could investigate it, but I never got a response. I called and texted her, but Thea never responded. I started to worry that maybe something happened but Trap would tell me not to worry about them, joking that maybe Arthur and Thea were being more intimate with each other which I didn't want to think about.

The day got worse as reports of a warehouse exploding started to reach the Rodent's Gazette. I was in my office when I heard a loud noise coming from somewhere, I didn't know what it was until Ben and Pandora came in and started telling me what that noise was. It was around the same time when the other mice in the Rodent's Gazette started running around in a frenzy. By this point I was starting to worry that this may have something to do with Thea and Arthur, I didn't want to think that it had something to do with them, but I couldn't shake the thought. I tried calling Thea, over and over again, but she never answered my calls. I was starting to panic, believing that this did have something to do with them. I may not have any proof that confirms my suspicions but I just feel like this does involve them and if it did then I can only hope Arthur brings Thea back safely.

**Benjamin: "** Uncle G, are you okay? You look sick.**"** Benjamin said worriedly.

" I'm fine Benjamin, I'm probably overthinking something?**"**

**Trap: "** Well that's nothing new, but I think the real question is when are we going to check out the sight of that explosion?**"**

**Pandora: "** I agree, first there's that incident in that parking lot and now an explosion, I think we need to get Arthur involved.**"**

" That's what's been on my mind, I've been trying to call Thea for hour's but she's not answering.**"**

**Benjamin: "** Why isn't she answering?**"**

" I don't know but it's got me worried.**"**

**Pandora: "** I'm certain she's probably doing alright, but you are right if she's not answering her phone then maybe we should be worried.

**Trap: "** I still think we shouldn't get to worked up after she's got Arthur with her and those two have formed quite a strong bond. So if anything did happen, I'm certain they'll be alright.**"**

" I can only hope that you're right.**"**

**Outside New Mouse City**

**Eric P.O.V**

This would finally reach its end. After months of waiting and other setbacks, it would all come down to this. Was it worth it? Very much so. Those three months of waiting were almost waisted if those two had not fallen from the sky and made things more interesting. Every decision I made was to help make things more entertaining, to make all the waiting more worth it. Course I never expected any of this but I'm grateful that it did. And as sad as it may be, it is time to finally put an end to all this. I received word that Max had finished his part of the plan, which means that Cortney's time playing is over. Now it was my turn to finish things by fulfilling my end of the bargain.

Ares was fully restored, but he was still in the healing pod. I gave the order to wake him up and release him from the pod. When Ares awoke he broke free from the pod and was now floating in the air, looking down at us with an expression that beams with superiority. There was no denying what he was and what we were to him. The time had come to hand him the sword.

**Ares: " **The sword, give it to me.**"**

Snapping my fingers I had my men open the container that held the sword, once it was in his sights he quickly flew to it. My men and I stepped back. Max should be close by, as for Courtney I expect it would take her long to get here, but I was more curious about Ares and the sword he was now wielding.

Once the sword was in his paws he started to be overcome with the same aura, got Terry to go berserk, but Ares remained in control. He was overflowing with power and he quickly took to the sky. He roared a mighty roar, as he was now back at his most powerful state. A light purple light then shot out from Ares and burst into clouds that I assumed were filled with the negative energy that the sword contained, and was quickly spreading across the island and beyond. Ares slowly descended upon us and raised his sword into the air.

**Ares: "** Now that the sword has reunited with me, I no longer have any use for you.**"**

The sword began to power up and with one swing, a large slash of negative energy quickly headed towards us. My men, they look scared, but as for me, I could only say one thing before the energy hit us.

" Who didn't see that coming.**"**

**Geronimo P.O.V**

I was worrying about Thea and Arthur, when I noticed a bright light in the distance which exploded, creating dark clouds that were now spreading rapidly across the city. As I looked in front of the window I could see that everything in the city was not coming to a complete halt, and mice were wondering what was happening. But it wasn't long before some amongst them started to panic. Where was Thea with Arthur, Terry, Maria, Matt, and Alden? I have no idea what is happening but we need them now.

**Trap: " **Geronimo, what's going on?**"**

" That's what I want to know.**"**

We were cut away from our thoughts when we heard Benjamin screaming.

**Benjamin: "** PANDORA, GET OFF, GET OFF OF ME!**" **

We turned and we could see Pandora and Benjamin on the ground, Pandora was scratching and clawing, and attempting to bit Benjamin, while Benjamin tried to get Pandora away from him.

" What's going on Pandora are you doing this!?**" **I said while Trap and I ran to Benjamin's aid. When looking at Pandora, we could see a dark aura begin to appear from her as she got more aggressive.

**Benjamin: "** I don't know what happened, as soon as the sky got dark her eyes suddenly turned blood red and she lunged at me!**"**

Trap and I reached to get Pandora off him, but Pandora reached and bit into Ben's shoulder causing blood to start pouring out. Ben screamed in pain and Trap and I pulled Pandora away from Ben and we put her into the closet which had a stairway to a secret room in my office. Once Pandora was in the closet we shut the door and tried barricading it. We could hear Pandora banging away at the door, trying to force it open, screaming like a savage animal as she did.

With Pandora temporarily locked away, my attention quickly turned to Ben, who Trap was already looking for a way to treat the injury Ben had on his shoulder.

**Trap: "** He's bleeding really bad Geronimo.**"** Trap said, panicking.

" Okay, just put pressure on the wound okay, I'll get the medkit.**"**

**Benjamin: "** What's happened to Pandora?**"** Ben said, sounding dazed and confused.

" I don't know, But hopefully Arthur and Thea do and are doing something about it.**"**

**Trap: "** Hey G, I'm feeling a little light-headed.**"**

" Did she hurt you?**"**

**Trap: "** No, I'm just starting to get this uneasy feeling and my head starting to act up, maybe it's the shock of what happened.**"**

" It could be.**"**

We were able to treat Ben's injury but it was a painful process as we had to disinfect the wound with alcohol which caused Ben to scream and cry in agony. The wound was bandaged up and Trap and I started to comfort Ben. In my mind I tried to figure out what happened to Pandora, I remembered that she and Thea were held captive by Courtney so that she could make them part of her twisted game, I remembered that Thea told me that Courtney did things to all of the male and female mice she abducted. Could this be one of the things that She did to them, if so then I worried for Thea even more? As I worried another thought hit me that had me scared, if my idea on why Pandora went crazy is true then not only should I worry about Thea, but I should worry about all the male mice who are walking the streets after being released from the hospital, and all the female mice who are still in the hospital.

**Matt P.O.V**

Damn it, just when we had finished dealing with the monsters that Max brought with him, Ares now had his paws on his sword again and now everything is going to get worse. Then again, it had already gotten worse since Terry is currently unconscious. Terry and Maria had been sensing many things heading to the cave, we all decided to check it out, once we got there we saw Max waiting for us. Before we could react Max held something out in his paw and Terry was hit with a beam of light suddenly making him fall unconscious. We were about to attack but then Max summoned a few monsters which quickly ran out from the forest and attacked us. While we were busy fighting them, Max had another monster lift him somewhere else. Before he flew away however he mentioned something about Ares getting his sword back, but we were too preoccupied with the monsters to worry about that. As for Terry Maria grabbed him with her tail and carried him back into the cavern as quickly as she could before coming back to help us fight off the monsters.

It took us a while but the three of us were able to defeat the monsters, which was when the sky suddenly started turning dark. We knew that this had something to do with what Max said about Ares. In which case we needed Terry and Arthur right now. We ran back into the cave and still saw Terry lying on the ground. We were going to wake him up but then we saw the symbol on the wall glow along with a mark on Terry's back. Suddenly the whole cavern gleamed in a bright light before quickly dimming down enough for us to see again. We don't know what was happening but we started to feel refreshed, our wounds were healed, and our stamina restored. Terry unfortunately was still unconscious, we tried waking him for several minutes but he still wouldn't wake. Whatever that was that put him to sleep, it seems that not even what is going on with the cave was able to wake him. Alden had an idea as to what put Terry to sleep since he knew more about the artifacts from our islands than the rest of us. In which case he took charge of this situation and asked us to go and find Arthur so that he can help stop whatever is happening outside. I was willing to go but Maria was hesitant to leave Terry alone, outright refusing after what happened, but Alden was firm and told her that with her help Arthur could be found a lot faster. She looked at Terry before leaving him in Alden's paws.

Maria mentioned that the mark on Terry's back was still glowing along with the mark on the wall. She mentions that Arthur has a mark on his back as well, and thought that maybe they can use whatever is happening to find where Arthur is. While it could be most likely that Arthur was where that beam of light was but when she placed her paw on Terry's back, a purple line of energy emerged from the mark and led to the outside of the tunnel. The line of energy was trying to lead us somewhere but where? Alden then brought up how Arthur, during the time he first met Maria, said that his soul and Terry's were once one. Perhaps all the pieces of this one soul were still connected somehow, and that purple line of energy would lead us to Arthur. If it was, then this brought up the possibility that Arthur wasn't where that beam of light was that created the dark cloud, but instead somewhere else. If so then Maria and I had to move fast. Before we left Maria made Alden promise to make sure Terry would be okay, and he gave her his word. With that, I hopped on Maria's back and she ran out of the cave. Once out she spread her wings and took the sky and followed the purple line of energy from above. From the sky it was clear that the line of energy was not heading to where the dark clouds appeared, instead, they were leading us somewhere else. Wherever it was leading us, we hoped that it would be where we would find Arthur.

**Terry P.O.V**

I'm not sure how long I've been laying on this patch of grass just watching the day go by. I was able to get a nice view of the city from where I was, I guess living on the edge of town does have its benefits, I can see why mom likes going here to paint, the hilltop does give her quite the view. I saw some birds flying away and I got this feeling that I could join them. I reach out my paw to as the birds flew away, As they fly off into the distance I wonder what it must be like to experience feeling the air blow past you as you fly around without a care in the world. Must feel nice. My thoughts were interrupted when my younger sister Amanda came walking in.

**Amanda: "** I knew you would be here, now come on, mom's made dinner.**" **She said being as bossy as usual.

" Alright, I'm coming**,"** I said back to her.

I had spent a lot of time on this hill and had just been enjoying the view. Guess it was time to come back home. I followed my younger sister down the hill when I heard a distorted echo coming from somewhere.

**?: "**...rry.**"** the distorted voice said. I looked around where I believed the sound came from but I couldn't see anything.

**Amanda: "** What's wrong Terry?**"**

" I thought I heard something.**"**

**Amanda: "** I didn't hear anything, now come on we're wasting time. Mom's waiting.**" **She said impatiently.

**Later**

We made it back to our house within moments after my sister had us run as fast as we could there. When we made it I saw my older brothers working in my mother's car. The car was in good condition. It was just that my older brothers liked to keep themselves busy, and improving my mother's car was a good way to keep busy. When they saw us return they greeted us but didn't get close to us since they were sweaty and their paws were covered in oil. I noticed a small group of girls looking at my brothers while they worked. My brothers always have this charm with the ladies, and while one of them liked to play around with that attention, the other was shyer and not sure what to do with the attention he got from girls.

With us home, my brothers decided to call it a day and enter the house. While they washed up, my sister and I went to the kitchen to see our mother. She was in the kitchen, but she wasn't alone. My older sisters were there helping my mother, Lucy, and Mary, were there to help my mother with the cooking. Our mother saw us and hugged us before telling us to have a seat. I had gone to sit down while Amanda went to get our younger siblings downstairs to eat. After a few minutes, Amanda came down with my two younger siblings.

We had been waiting for a bit for the food when my brothers came into the dining room, clean and hungry. My older sisters and my mother entered the dining room and started placing the food on the table. Every time we ate, it was almost like a feast. I don't know why this much food was made but, my mother would always go the distance whenever she prepared food. Everyone was seated and ready to eat the feast before them until the door opened suddenly. We looked and it was our father coming back from work. We all greeted him and my mother ran up to him and gave him a big hug, followed by a kiss.

**Freya: "** Welcome home darling.**"**

**Eric: "** Good to be back honey.**"**

My mother carried my dad's bags from work to their room while my dad went to wash up. We had to wait for them to come back, and by that point, we couldn't take it waiting anymore, the smell and the appearance of the food was overwhelming. We were about to take bits out of our meals when our parents entered the dining room. They quickly sat down at opposite ends of the table and gave us the go-ahead to start eating. Almost everyone in the table ripped into their food while my parents watched and laughed.

**Freya: "** We have quite the litter of mouselings, don't we Eric?**"**

**Eric: "** That we do Freya.**"**

As quickly as the food came it quickly disappeared, the food was delicious. My mother was a famous artist, but I bet she would get far if she took up a career in cooking. I helped my mother wash all the dishes, and when they were done I walked into the living room. The sky had gone dark and was filled with the shining light of stars. From the window I could see my dad on the lawn, staring at the starry sky. I wanted to watch the stars with him but when I walked through the door to see him I heard that strange distorted voice again, this time the voice wasn't so distorted it was a little clear this time.

**?: "** Terry.**"** The voice said. The voice as I listened to it sounded familiar, but I couldn't explain why.

I brushed it off and walked towards my father and he and I sat down to watch the stars.

My dad and I spent some time pointing out the constellations, but what my dad enjoyed was talking about his research. My dad had made numerous breakthroughs in many different fields. He was truly a gifted genius, but for the past few years my dad had been working on a project that he believed would change the world. He was dead set on achieving that goal, and he sure had the support of everyone in the labs, given what my dad has done, it was crazy not to believe he could do it.

" Dad, what's this project you have been working on?**"**

**Eric: "** I've always believed that mice were capable of so much more, and that's what my project aims to prove. If I succeed then you'll be able to fly around as the birds do, feel the wind pass your fur, and enjoy the view from the skies.**" **

" You know dad, it won't be long before I graduate university with the same degrees you've got. Once I get my degrees, I'll join you, and together we can achieve your dream.**"**

**Eric: "** I'm certain that you have your dreams to achieve, you don't have to focus on me you're only eighteen, you still have your whole life ahead of you.**"**

" I know but I want to be able to work by your side, who knows how long it will take to achieve your goal, it would go a lot more smoothly if you had some more help. I have plans of my own but I want to use my knowledge to help you first since I do want to see how the world will be like if your project is successful.**"**

**Eric: "** Well, if that's what you want then I guess I see in the lab soon.**"**

" Guess you will.**"**

**Freya: "** Boys, come back inside, it's game night.**"** My mother shouted from the window.

My father and I walked back into the house to enjoy a nice time of games and whatever fun thing my mother had planned. The house was lively with singing, laughing, dancing, and just with all of us having a good time. I enjoyed times like these because it is when our family can get along much more. I was sitting on the couch watching my younger siblings dancing around and everyone was laughing and enjoying the performance, I was enjoying myself as well but I had a feeling this was different. It felt like this life I was living was simply too good to be true. I've never had this feeling before, so why am I having it now?

Things started getting strange when my family's voices started getting silent even though they looked to be still shouting and having a good time. Their voices got quieter and quieter until they were silent. Everything was silent. I couldn't hear anything, I was starting to panic but then I was hit with a warm feeling. I remember this warmth as my mother's warmth whenever she hugged me. But she was sitting next to my dad, so what was happening. The voice came back again, but this time it was clear.

**?: "** Terry.**" **I heard the voice say.

" Who are you?**" **I responded. I was able to hear my voice as well, which gave me a sense of relief but I was still wondering why everyone else's voices went silent.

**?: "** It's me Terry, Alden.**"**

" Alden?**"** I said confused. The name sounded familiar, my head started to feel funny, and I wasn't what was happening. I was thinking that maybe that I was ill, I was talking to a voice in my head, something was not right here.

**Alden: "** Yes Terry, It's me, Alden. Matt and Maria, are searching for Arthur and Thea, but I'm here trying to get you to wake up.**" **

All of these names that this Alden just said to me, I knew all these names along with his, but I couldn't remember where I heard the voice was telling me things that also sounded familiar, I began thinking hard about all the things I was hearing and I was certain I knew things but I couldn't remember what these were. I had a conversation with the voice, and every time the voice spoke it would always change its tone, it would something completely different, like if it was learning what questions it should ask me, and every time I answered I felt stranger and stranger. I still didn't know what was happening but I wouldn't panic because this warm feeling that reminded me of my mother would calm me down. I don't why but this warm feeling could be trying to tell me that everything was going to be okay? I certainly didn't know.

The voice then started asking me questions about my family, asking me to question what I was seeing. When I did as the voice asked things started to not make sense. I started remembering things differently, I felt my mind fighting the memories of the life I lived with the memories that were now flashing in my head. I didn't know how to react to this but the warm feeling calmed me down, making me able to think clearly.

The more I questioned the life I was living, the more memories that flashed back into my mind. Eventually, I realized that the life I was living wasn't real, and I remembered I was hit with something that put me here. Realizing that none of this was real, the memories of all the mice that the voice had mentioned flooded back to me and I remembered what I was supposed to do. I promised to help Arthur stop Ares, and as for my father, I remembered all the things he did to me, and how I swore that I would take him down. I stood up in front of the couch and yelled that this was nothing more than a dream and that it's time to wake up. Flames engulfed everything around me and suddenly went dark again.

I slowly opened my eyes, everything looked blurry, I could hear a distorted voice again. I slowly and as I did, the voice started to get clearer, as well my vision. Within a moment I was able to hear and see again. The voice was Alden trying to ask me if I was alright, though he was saying it rather loudly.

" Don't have to shout so much I'm right here**,"** I said rubbing my ear.

**Alden: "** Glad to see you're finally awake.**"** he said relieved.

" Glad to be awake**," **I responded. I don't know how long I was out for, but if the look in Alden's face is anything to go by, things weren't looking good right now.

**Later**

Alden explained the situation to me, it was worse than what I thought it was. Arthur and Thea were nowhere to be found, but Matt and Maria were out searching for them but I don't know how long it would take to find him. Alden told me about a strange line of energy coming from me while I was unconscious, I didn't know why that was happening but Alden seemed to believe that it would help them find Arthur and Thea. With me awake, the line of energy was beginning to fade so if the others were going to find Arthur and Thea, they would have to move faster. My bad I guess?

What got my attention was the symbol on the wall, it was glowing and I was feeling inexplicably rejuvenated. Why was it glowing now?

" So does this have anything to do with Ares?**"**

**Alden: "** Most likely, after Ares covered the sky in darkness the symbol on the wall was glowing. The others and I were feeling tired after our fight with the monsters that Max brought, but after coming here we started feeling better.**"**

" So this symbol, after it started glowing turned this whole cave into some kind of recovery room?**"** I asked unsurely.

**Alden: "** I believe so, in which case it's good for us because we can now use it to get back into fights when we're too tired or injured quickly.**"**

I wanted to go out and see what was happening myself but before I could Matt and Maria returned with Arthur and Thea. Matt was carrying Arthur while Maria was holding her by using her dragon tail. Arthur was a broken and bloody mess, while Thea was acting like a wild animal. Though tied up she still was acting aggressively in her attempt to escape her bond.

" What happened?**" **I was shocked to see two of my friends in such states.

**Matt: "** We don't know. That line of energy we were following led us to Arthur, and he was with Thea. They were easy to spot, but hard to look at. As you can see Arthur is a mess, as for Thea when we saw her she was attacking Arthur. She was desperately trying to free herself from her bonds, while also attacking Arthur by kicking him or by trying to slam her body against his.**"**

**Maria: "** We didn't want to risk freeing Thea until we knew for sure what was happening to her.**" **She said as she looked at Thea, her arms and legs had noticeable burns, most of her burns were covered by the ropes but you could still see them as she moved to try and free herself.

Thea stopped moving and was still for a moment. Her red eyes glowed and a dark aura surrounded her. The aura quickly shot up into the air and formed a cloud above us, the cloud then started to become engulfed in light. When it did it quickly faded away. Maria laid Thea on the floor and she played completely still. A moment later she opened her eyes, they were normal and were not red anymore. She looked at us relieved to be back in the cave we hid but she quickly started crying out in pain. The pain from the burns was hitting her with no mercy.

Seeing that Thea had snapped out of it I sat her up but I had to be careful since she was in a lot of pain. I removed her gag and then untied her, when the ropes came off I saw the full extent of her burns. Thea didn't dare move, she was already feeling the pain, moving would make them hurt more. I placed my paws on the parts of Thea's body that didn't have burns, once my paws were in place I started to heal her. I put as much energy as I could to help her recover quickly, and within a few seconds, she was fully healed. She moved her arms and checked to see if she didn't have any more burns. She was happy to be healed again but her attention quickly turned to the mess that was Arthur. When she saw him she started to cry, she quickly crawled to him and placed him in her arms and she snuggled him as she pleaded for him to wake up.

Thea explained to us everything that happened as she held onto Arthur. I approached them both and I placed my paws onto Arthur and started to heal as quickly as I could. When Thea finished her explanation Arthur was fully restored. He opened his and looked directly at Thea. He placed a paw on her cheek and caressed it, they both blushed as they were both able to see each other again. Arthur lifted himself and sat on the floor next to Thea. She lunged at him and they both spent the next minute kissing while the rest of us looked away in embarrassment. When they finally broke the kiss they hugged and Arthur asked us what happened while they were out and Alden filled them in.

Once they were filled in on the situation Arthur and Thea got up and Thea wanted to go back to check on her family. Maria was against this as she wanted us to go and find Ares since she heard Max say that Ares was going to get his sword back. Arthur confirmed this by telling everyone what happened in the cave they were found in. The light that Alden mentioned was Ares getting his full power back and using it to plunge the world into darkness. I was worried about Thea's family but at the same time we couldn't let Ares roam around, we weren't sure if he was still on the island now that he was full power again. Thea was worried about her family, thinking that what happened to her must have happened to her family and mice on this island. If that was true then it was all the more reason to go and stop Ares. If we stopped him then maybe we could undo what he's done.

Maria wanted to take Alden, and Matt to go and fight Ares. I asked why she didn't want to invite me along, and she was still uncertain about letting me go along to help her.

" Right now is not the time for you to worry about me, this world is in trouble and if we don't do something then this world is doomed**,"** I said to her.

**Maria: "** I know, I know I shouldn't be so overprotective especially during times when we all need to work together. I'm just nervous about what could happen to you.**"**

" There hasn't been anything that hasn't been done to me, so I think that we need to stop worrying about the past and try to move forward as best we can.**"**

**Maria: "** You're right, I've been letting the past consume me for so long, I think it's time to move away from it and start moving forward.**"**

" It may be difficult but we'll move forward at our own pace until we've overcome our pasts.**"**

**Matt: "** And we'll be there alongside you.**" **Matt said pointing at everyone that we had made friends with.

We all got together for a group hug and once we separated Alden started speaking.

**Alden: "** Arthur how do you feel?**"**

**Arthur: "** While I look okay my energy still needs time to recover, though I can feel my energy recovering quickly.**"**

**Alden: "** Since Arthur needs time to fully heal I think it would be best if both Terry and Thea go into the city to check things out, while Maria, Matt, and I head to the site where the sky turned dark.**"**

**Thea; "** Wait we can't leave Arthur here.**" **She said holding on to Arthur.

**Arthur: "** I need time to recover, and that might take a bit, but thanks to this cave I don't think that will take longer.**"**

**Thea: "** But I still don't want to leave you.**"**

**Arthur: "** You'll have Terry to watch over you, don't worry, once I'm fully recovered I will join you okay.**"** He said holding Thea's paw.

**Thea: "** Okay, be sure to come to see us when you're okay. I love you.**"**

**Arthur: "** I love you too.**"** He said to her before kissing her again.

**Alden: "** Terry, Once you find Thea's family be sure to bring them here. These dark clouds seem to corrupt anyone underneath them, and the symbol on that wall created a barrier to protect us from corruption. Bringing Thea here freed her from the corruption so bringing anyone else in here should also do the same.**"**

**Thea: "** If that's true then I'm worried for Geronimo and the others.**"** She said frightened.

" Don't worry we'll find them, just tell me where to go when we're in the city.**"**

**Thea: "** Okay, let's get them.**" **She said, feeling somewhat confident.

**New Mouse City**

**Later**

I carried Thea as we flew into the city. I remembered seeing the city when I first arrived on the island and I wondered what the citizens were like. After my training with Arthur was done and I would spend time with Thea, I remember she and I walked out of the cave a few times to look at the city from a distance. I was curious about going into the city but I wasn't sure if I could handle being around so many different mice. Now that things were at their worst I don't think I'll be seeing the mice at their best right now, so heading into the city made me more nervous. Thea was nervous too, if she became corrupted then the citizens of mouse island must also have gotten corrupted. We were going in to check on the city and to find Thea's family.

We landed in an alley and were looking at the empty streets. I put Thea down and she checked herself and blushed.

" Why are you blushing?**"**

**Thea: "** I just realized I'm in my bra and underwear.**"** she said quickly covering herself.

" You're only realizing that now? I thought you realized it back in the cave but you didn't care, and nobody said anything so I just assumed that it was okay for mice here to walk around half-naked.**"**

**Thea: "** It's not, I mean, I just haven't paid attention, why didn't Arthur point it out.**" **She said panicking, using her arms to cover herself. She paused for a minute and immediately blushed, even more, her face turning full red.

" If you need something to wear then give me a second.**"**

Using my creation ability I made Thea a robe to wear since I didn't know what her preferred choice of clothes was I made something that I felt like she wouldn't mind wearing.

**Thea: "** Thanks Terry, even mice don't usually walk around wearing robes except when they're in their own home, but I guess I shouldn't worry too much about what I wear since it's not the best time for it. Let me just put it on real quick, then let's go to the Rodent's Gazette.**"**

Thea and I walked out into the streets after making sure that no one was around. The streets were completely deserted, there was nothing but silence, we weren't what happened here but as we looked around we saw trash littering the streets, cars that were abandoned by their drivers, and some of them had broken windows or other forms of damage. Thea was really worried about her family. I grabbed her paw to assure it would be fine, that we'll find them. We were near the edge of the city when we landed so getting to the Rodent's Gazette was going to take us a while. We knew this, but we wanted to see how the citizens were doing before heading over to the Rodent's Gazette. It was mostly quiet until we heard what sounded like squeaking.

**Thea: "** You heard that right?**"** Thea said nervously

" I did, stay close.**"**

We braced ourselves for whatever was making that squeaking noise. The squeaking noise then became multiple squeaking noises and were coming from all around us, getting louder as whatever was making them drew near. We started to hear the footsteps from everywhere while the squeaking got louder. From the shadows we saw the glowing red eyes of mice, the mice emerged from the shadows by the dozens and swarmed me and Thea. I picked up Thea and jumped up to the roof of the building closest to us. While on the roof we could the corrupted mice run into the building that we were on, Thea wrapped her arms around my shoulders and braced herself.

**Thea: "** Just keep hopping from building to building, I'll tell you how to get to the Rodent's Gazette.**"**

" Alright just hang on**,"** I said to her as we hopped from one building to the next.

**The Rodent's Gazette.**

While hopping from one building to the next, Thea and I saw corrupted mice littering the streets, walking around like zombies. Thea was worried that Geronimo and the others were no longer in the Rodent's Gazette, but instead wandering the streets as corrupted mice.

**Thea: " **Please be okay guys.**" **She whispered. I could see she was getting more worried about her family, the closer we were getting to them.

When we finally arrived at the Rodent's Gazette, we snuck into the building through the roof. Entering the hallway on the floor's Thea led the way to Geronimo's office. We tried to be as silent as possible to not alert any corrupted mice that were on the same floor as us. The lights were off so it was pitch black, but Thea still knew the way to Geronimo's office despite the darkness.

We arrived at Geronimo's office, but Thea couldn't open the door to the office.

**Thea: "** Terry, can you phase use through the door?**"**

" I could but if I did then your clothes would fall off.**"**

**Thea: "** Oh, um in that case, can you phase through the door and open it so I could get in?**"**

" That I can do.**"**

**Thea: "** Great, but before you do, can you sense, if anyone is there on the other side?**"** She said bracing herself for the worse.

I sensed if there was anyone on the other side of the door and I did sense the energies of Geronimo, Trap, Benjamin, and Pandora. Thea was relieved to hear that they were in the office. I phased through the door and saw I light in the middle of the room. There sat Geronimo, Trap, and Benjamin surrounding a small flame in the middle of the room. Their eyes looked normal so that meant that they weren't corrupted yet. I pulled my head right back out of the door and told Thea what I had seen.

**Thea: "** They're on the other side, and they don't look corrupt, that's wonderful.**" **Thea said as quietly as she could.

She knocked on the door gently and raised her voice just enough where she thought Geronimo would be able to hear her. For a moment we heard nothing, then we heard someone on the other side of the door.

**Geronimo: "** Thea, is that you?**"**

**Thea: "** Yes Geronimo, it's me, Terry is here with me.**"**

The door slowly opened and Geronimo stepped out, Thea hugged her brother and they both embraced for a moment before Geronimo invited us into the room. When Trap and Ben saw Thea, they both hugged her and she was very happy to see that her family was alright. When the hugging stopped Thea looked around, she became worried again when she couldn't find who or what she was looking around for.

**Thea: "** Guys, where's Pandora?**"** She said nervously

**Geronimo: "** She's locked inside the secret room I have her in my office.**"**

**Thea: "** Why is she locked in there?**" **She asked, confused.

They told her what happened to Pandora when the sky turned dark. She was shocked to learn Pandora attacked Ben and left a bad wound on his shoulder. They also told us what happened to everyone when the sky got dark. They saw through the windows what was happening to the citizens of the city, to avoid detection they turned off all the lights and shut the doors, and have been cooped up in the office since. Thea asked them why they haven't been corrupted yet, and they didn't have an answer for her, though they did mention that they've been feeling a slight headache, which has been getting slowly worse as they waited around in the office.

**Thea: "** You guys have been feeling light-headed?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Yeah, I assume that the reason for the light-headed feeling is due to us slowly being corrupted. There must be mice who can resist whatever effects these dark clouds have on them, which is why they take longer to turn.**"**

**Thea: "** I remember I felt light-headed before I turned.**"**

**Geronimo: "** You turned. How did you get cured?**"**

**Thea: "** The symbol in the cave where Terry lived cured the sky turned dark, the symbol started glowing and created a barrier that covered everything in the cavern, the energy from it freed me from the corruption.**"**

**Benjamin: "** So we can save Pandora.**" **Ben said, sounding very happy.

**Thea: "** Yeah, and now that I think about it, I remember having this same light-headed feeling before somewhere else.**"**

**Trap: "** Where?**"**

**Thea: "** Back when Courtney abducted me and Pandora, she took me somewhere, where I could tell her everything I knew about Arthur. As her goons were carrying me, I passed by a room that had a strange aura coming from it and I started feeling light-headed as we passed it.**"**

" If I may chime in, its most likely the sword of Ares that was making you feel light-headed.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Ares's sword?**"**

" Yes, Ares got his sword back and it's the reason why the sky turned dark because he used the sword to do that. So it's the sword's energy that's corrupting you, although I don't know why some mice are resistant to its effects whatever is making you resistant doesn't protect you for long, as you guys said you had a light-headed feeling which is getting worse, which means that you will eventually turn.**"**

**Geronimo: "** And the only cure is the symbol that was etched in the cave you lived in for so long.**"**

" Exactly.**"**

**Thea: "** Which means that we need to get out of here now. Let's get Pandora and Terry will take us back to the cave. Terry, can you teleport us all there?**"**

**Hidden cave**

**Later**

I teleported everybody in the office back into the cave, I had to restrain Pandora, however. When they opened the closet door Pandora ran up to us screaming, I used my tape ability to restrain her, but she still screamed and tried to bite us. We heard the voices of other mice screaming and footsteps heading our way. I held on to Pandora and everybody held paws, I held Thea's paw and I teleported everyone in the office to the hidden cave. Once we were safely in the cave the corrupted energy quickly left Pandora which brought her back to normal. When Pandora saw Benjamin she quickly ran up to him and hugged him, she started to cry as she explained she could remember everything she did. She apologized profusely to Benjamin, begging for forgiveness. Ben's response was to kiss her on the cheek, making Pandora take a step and blush. Ben told her that the entire time Pandora was locked in the secret room, Ben thought about wanting to save her, and seeing her okay filled him with so much happiness he couldn't help but kiss her.

They both blushed and embraced in a warm, loving hug. I walked up to Ben and offered to heal him, to which he accepted. The wound was healed but I couldn't do anything about the shirt so his shirt would have a whole in it until he either gets it fixed or he wants me to make him a new shirt or if he just wants to buy one. Now that everyone was safe in the safe, Thea went to look around for Arthur who was nowhere in sight. Thea started to worry for him, but then Arthur was seen walking back into the cavern. When Thea saw him she ran up to him and we thought she was going to hug him but she slapped him, telling him that he should have told her she was only in her bra in her underwear, before hugging him and telling him what happened while we were in the city.

Arthur was happy to know that things turned out okay. But if things were to turn out for the better for everyone then we had to deal with Ares. The time had come, bur Arthur we went Arthur said he had to retrieve something from Volts lab. Thea wanted to come along to help but Arthur told her that it was too dangerous and that this was something Arthur and I had to deal with. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in our fight with Ares but all I knew was that my planet was in danger, and I had to save it.

**Arthur: "** Okay Thea, we'll be going now.**" **He said holding onto her

**Thea: "** Please come back to me when you're done.**"**

**Arthur: "** I will, but Thea.**"**

**Thea: "** What is it?**"**

**Arthur: "** Once this fight is over and Ares is defeated, I'm going to have to return home to lock him up. The prison back home should hold him there.**"**

**Thea: "** Then that means.**"**

**Arthur: "** I have to return home, but there's a problem. I don't have my wander's feather. Both Ares and I lost our feathers when we arrived in this world. I could still make it back home if I used my super speed but that requires a lot of energy and I'm not sure if I'll have enough to make the trip.**"**

Thea looked down, feeling sad that she and Arthur wouldn't be able to spend time together after the fight was over. She looked up at him and placed her paws on his cheeks.

**Thea: "** Then what are you going to do once you defeat Ares?**"**

**Arthur: "** I'm going to have to try and make the trip using my super speed. So, Thea, this could be the last time I see you. For now at least.**"**

**Thea; "** You better see me when the fight is over, I want to see you again before you leave.**"**

**Arthur: "** Okay Thea, I'll see when the fight is over.**"**

Both Arthur and Thea kissed after they were done Arthur told me to follow him. I was ready to fight to save my world. Arthur and I ran out of the cave, and we heard Thea and the others shouting at us, wishing for us to have the best of luck. After getting out of the cave we took to the sky, but Arthur wanted to get something first.

**Arthur: "** We need to go somewhere first before we go confront Ares.**"**

" What could that be?**"**

**Arthur: "** You'll see.**"**

**Volts Lab**

**Arthur P.O.V**

Terry and I walked into Volts without detection from any of the corrupted mice outside. We looked around for the professor but couldn't find him anywhere. That was until we saw someone charge at us, it was the professor, but before he could reach us he stopped himself.

**Volt: "** Hello, Arthur, it's good to see you.**"** Volt said, barely able to control himself. He was covered in a dark aura but he was still in control over himself, but just barely.

**Volt: "** I don't have much longer, soon I'll end up like the others. How are Thea and her family?**"**

" They're okay, we took them to a place that protects them from the negative energy that is currently surrounding us. We can take you there.**"**

**Volt: "** A nice idea but no, I don't know what caused this, but what I do know is that you and maybe your friend that you brought with you, I don't know who he is but maybe since he's with you, then maybe he can help you. Point is you're the only one that can stop this. But before you go, I'd like to give you something, I assume it's why you're here.**"**

The professor led us to a table, where he presented the suit he had been working on for a while.

**Volt: "** The suit is finally done, it took me a while but I was able to make something that I believe similar to the original suit you wore, though I made a few alterations to the design, like the suit's overall appearance. I finally figured out how to mix the 1920's aesthetic with a medieval age aesthetic.**" **He said, sounding proud of himself.

The suit turned out very well, I grabbed it and using my super speed I quickly put it on. The suit felt comfortable, the material it was made from was sturdy, but the one thing I wondered was how it would hold up in battle. The professor made the suit based on what he saw the original suit was made from, which meant there were some powers the suit wouldn't hold up well against, but that didn't matter, I had a suit and I was going to use it to fight. I still had the bracelet I made to protect me from copying Terry's abilities. I decided to keep it on since I wasn't sure how the fight was going to turn out. I looked over to the professor who was standing a distance away from us.

**Volt: "** Now that you have the suit, you need to get going, the world needs you.**"**

" Alright professor, but let's get you outta here.**"**

**Volt: "** No time, you need to go now!**"** The professor shouted, his eyes turning red, lunging at us.

**Outside New Mouse City**

Terry and I quickly flew out of Volt's lab and to outside of the city. We headed over to the spot where Ares turned the sky dark. We noticed large plumes of smoke in the distance that wasn't there before, something went down over there, and we were heading right for it. along the way, Terry remained silent just as he was during our time in Volts lab.

" Hey Terry, why are you so quiet?**"**

**Terry: "** Just have a lot on my mind.**"**

" What's bothering you? Maybe I can help.**"**

**Terry: "** It's nothing serious, I just find myself feeling uncomfortable whenever I am near a scientist.**"**

" I understand why you would feel that way, but you don't have to worry about Volt, he's friendly if Thea and the others trust him, I'm certain one day you and Maria will as well.**"**

**Terry: "** Maybe, but I don't see that happening for a while. We're almost there, let's find Ares and finish this.**"**

" You're right, I can still sense his energy, he's still there. Let's hope Maria and the others are alright. If we're lucky maybe they weren't spotted by Ares yet.**"**

We landed near the spot where Ares covered the sky in darkness, on our way there, we noticed the dead bodies of monsters that had the appearance of mice, and we even saw the metal remains of the aliens that I fought back in the city, becoming more numerous as we walked closer to Ares. Some of the bodies hung from trees, some trees were blown away from where they stood, and blood stained many of the trees we saw.

We passed the trees and came across the area where we saw the large plumes of smoke. A big fight broke out here, and Terry quickly recoiled in shock when he saw the bodies of Max, Courtney, Maria, Matt, Alden. I walked over to them to check if they were still alive, they were, but they were unconscious except for Maria who was struggling just to get up. Terry rushed toward Maria, while I followed behind.

**Terry: "** Maria!**"** Terry yelled as he helped Maria to stand.**"**

**Maria: "** Finally chose to show up huh. We did all we could.**"**

**Terry: "** Don't worry about that, I'm certain you did more than enough. But now let us take over.**"**

**Ares: " **So you finally decided to join us.**"**

In the distance, Ares stood, holding the sword he created long ago. His power now fully restored, and I could sense that his power was growing. He was now a threat to not only to this world but to all other worlds, since he knew about the other Earth's in the other universes, if we didn't stop him now then the other worlds would be in grave danger.

**Maria: "** Are you certain, you can handle this.**"**

**Terry: "** If we're being honest, I'm not all that confident, but we have to try.**"**

" He's right, but we need to get you and the others out of here**," ** I said to them while looking around at the destruction.

**Terry: "** We can teleport all of you to the cave, Thea and the others are there so they can help look after you while you recover.**"**

**Maria: "** Take Max and Courtney with us.**"**

**Terry: "** Why?**"**

**Maria: "** They need to answer for their crimes, even if we can't face up to what they've done to us, we can make them face up to what they've done to the inhabitants of the city once this fight is over.**" **

**Terry: "** Arthur, let me take them all back to the cave, I'll teleport there and back as quickly as I can.**"**

" Alright.**"**

**Ares: "** The two sound rather confident that you can defeat me. At least I know this fight won't be disappointing at least.**"**

" Ares, after today, the only place you'll be heading to is a prison that is more than capable of holding you.**"**

**Ares: "** You have to take me their first. Do what you must to remove any distractions, I don't want this fight to be interrupted by anyone.**"**

" Terry.**"**

**Terry: "** I got it.**"** he said, nodding in response. Teleported Maria, and the others to cave as quickly as he could. He even took Max and Courtney there. With him and I now alone with Ares, the time had come to finally end assumed our fighting stances and Ares assumed his.

**Ares: "** Pray you don't disappoint.**"**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer from previous chapters still apply**

**Chapter 13: Champions**

**Outside New Mouse City**

**Arthur P.O.V**

The time had finally come, Maria and the others had been taken somewhere safe, Thea and the others were safe, it was now just Terry and I, against Ares. I looked at Terry, who was nervous.

" Terry, are you going to handle this?**"**

**Terry: "** I said I was going to help you, I'm not backing out now, plus this guy hurt my family, I intend to make him pay for that.**"** Terry said, looking serious.

**Ares: "** It's time we end this.**"** Ares said lifting his sword.

Ares charged towards us and we charged towards him, the battle had begun.

**Hidden cave**

**Thea P.O.V**

Matt and Alden regained consciousness the moment after they were dropped off. They wondered how they ended up in the cave at which Maria explained everything. Maria had been keeping a close eye on Courtney and Max, who were still unconscious. She did not want any of them to try and escape once they woke up. I also didn't want them to escape, after what those two did to me, my friends, and the city, they need to pay for all they've done.

Pandora was kept at a distance with Ben since Pandora was too scared to even look at her. Ben made sure to try and feel comfortable, but even though she was next to Ben, she was still scared. She was still feeling guilty about attacking him and injuring him. It wasn't her fault but she can't help but blame herself.

As for Geronimo, he worried about what was going on outside. He wasn't alone, I was worried about what was happening outside too. I prayed that Arthur and Terry would come out of the fight as the victors. Thinking about Arthur, I thought about what he said before he left the cave to fight Ares. He was going home after the fight, and I wasn't sure how long it would be before I would see him again. I thought about everything that happened throughout these past few months. Most of it was scary, then became bizarre, but amongst it all, I found love again. I had to see him just one more time before he left.

Courtney and Max regained consciousness and Maria got ready to attack in case they tried anything. Matt and Alden also got ready to attack by equipping their nano suits, which looked pretty damaged, in fact, their suits only covered most of their body, but at least they still had their weapons. When Courtney and Max looked around, they quickly realized their situation and they both surrendered.

**Max: "** You don't need to worry yourselves, we won't be going anywhere.**"**

**Courtney: "** Yeah, so quit with the looks, we've got nothing left.**" **She said crossing her arms and giving a pouting look.

None of us were buying it, these two along with their boss have had the upper paw throughout this whole thing, no way they didn't have anything up their sleeve. Maria wasn't buying it either, she quickly started sniffing them for anything they might have, much to their annoyance but none of us here cared how they felt. After Maria confirmed that they didn't have anything, I walked over to Courtney and smacked her as hard as I could, which caused my paw to sting a little, but it was worth it.

**Courtney: " **OW, what was that for you meanie?!**" **She yelled, on the verge of tears.

" That was payback for all the things you did to me!**" **

**Courtney: "** Why don't you also hit him, he's the one who gave the order to torture you.**"**

" I know that the mice he sent told me so themselves.**"**

I walked over to him and smacked him as hard as I could with my other paw. He placed his paw on the mark that I left on his cheek.

**Max: "** Granted I did deserve that, so what happens now?**"**

**Geronimo: "** Now, you both will go to prison once this is over.**"**

**Max: "** Fair enough.**"**

" But before that happens, answer us this. What happened to your boss?**" **

**Courtney: "** Don't look at me, Max probably knows, he was there before me. So he must have seen it.**"** She said, still trying to hold back her tears.

**Max: "** All I saw was Ares fly up into the air with his sword and then attack Eric, and the mice he was with. I'm surprised he didn't see it coming when it should have been obvious. Ares has threatened to kill Eric multiple times, and now it's happened, and it was the one thing my boss didn't prepare for.**"**

" Well, even if he is dead, we can still put the two of you away for good.**"**

**Courtney: "** Only if you're boyfriend and that little brat can stop Ares.**"**

" Trust me, they will.**"**

**Maria: "** Alright hopefully you got everything out of your chest, it's turn to have a word with them.**"**

The ground started to shake rather violently, and we heard the sound of explosions outside. Maria, Matt, and Alden got ready for whatever was happening. Worried about Arthur, I started running to the outside of the cave. And Maria quickly followed, she ordered Matt and Alden to keep everyone safe. Maria and I made it outside of the cave, where we were met with parts of the forest reduced to piles of sticks and burning wood. We heard an explosion coming from the air, and when we looked up we saw Arthur, Terry, and Ares fight.

**Maria: "** I hope what Terry learned from Arthur helps him in this fight. That sword Ares is using, in absorbing the negative energy from the masses who have been corrupted. The more the sword absorbs, the stronger Ares becomes.**"**

" We can only hope that they both can defeat him before he becomes too powerful.**"**

**The Sky **

**Arthur P.O.V**

Terry and I had been holding our own against Ares, but with everyone on this island corrupted, and with the corruption spreading, Ares is becoming too strong, it won't be long before he overwhelms us. During the fight, I noticed that since Terry doesn't have that much control over how much power he uses, he can hold better against Ares. Not a bad idea, however, the lack of control makes him damage the surrounding area, which is why we took the battle to the sky. We can't risk anyone on the ground getting hurt, but Ares has been making that difficult, he wants to see if we can keep citizens safe while fighting him at the same time. He's aware we're trying to take the fight elsewhere, and he doesn't want us to only have one thing to worry about.

**Terry: "** Arthur, I'm not sure how much longer I can do this? I haven't had much practice with my abilities so I am already reaching a limit.**"** Terry shouted.

" Don't worry Terry, I have an idea, Though it's risky, I need a little time to work it out**,"** I shouted in response.

The idea I had was to use the positive energy within the cave to see if it can weaken the sword, giving us a better chance against Ares. The problem with that however is everyone in the cave is in danger if we try to bring Ares in there. The best chance we got is to get them all out of the cave so it could be safe to bring Ares in there. It could work because the energy from the cave can cleanse negative energy, but it also seems to come with the bonus of keeping us from getting corrupted again, though I'm not sure if the immunity to the corruption is permanent. Terry and I seem to be holding out okay despite our exposure to the negative energy, so it should be safe for the others to step outside since they've been exposed to the positive energy of the cave, so we can try and see if we can weaken Ares.

Ares flew at us and launched a barrage of attacks, we were able to dodge most of them but we got hit by a few of them. If we were going to test this idea then we had to do it now because Ares's attacks are getting stronger. How was I going to get the others out without putting them in too much danger? Then it hit me, I could use my Telepathy to tell Thea, and the others about what I had planned. Though I needed a little time to reach their minds, like a few seconds at best.

**"** Terry, can you buy me a few seconds?**"**

**Terry: "** I can try.**"**

" I just need a few seconds.**"**

**Terry: "** Then do whatever it is you're going to do, and hurry.**"**

Terry charged at Ares and they both began to fight in the air. Terry using his immense power was able to push Ares back but he quickly began to lose ground. I had to be quick, I focused trying to contact Thea, and I was able to reach her. She was spooked at first but remembered that this wasn't the first time I talked to her like this. What surprised me was that Thea's mind along with Maria's was a distance away from Geronimo and the others. But the fact that she was out of the cave, and okay despite being exposed to negative energy again, gave me more confidence that this idea would work. I told Thea what I had planned, and while she was nervous, she agreed to it, she just needed a little time to get the others out of the cave. With the plane set in motion, I flew to help Terry fight Ares.

**Hidden Cave**

**Thea P.O.V**

I had to get everyone out of the cave, I quickly ran with Maria back into the cave. I reached the others who were happy to see us back in one piece.

**Geronimo: "** Thea, Maria, we're glad to see you both in one piece.**"**

" Guy's we need to leave this cave.**"**

**Geronimo: "** What?**"** Geronimo said, confused.

I explained to them Arthur's plan, and while they understood that it could give Arthur and Terry an advantage in the fight, they weren't so willing to run the risk and get attacked by Ares, if he saw them. Matt and Alden were afraid that Courtney and Max would try to escape but Maria quickly dealt with that possibility by knocking Courtney and Max out. She held them by her long tail and assured the others that since they've been exposed to the positive energy of the cave they won't have to worry about being corrupted, or that Arthur and Terry wouldn't let anything happen to them. Trap was the first to agree with the plan, then Matt, and Alden, Geronimo was still unsure because of the mouselings, but Benjamin, holding Pandora's paw agreed with the plan, which made Geronimo finally agree with the plan even though he was still hesitant about it.

We all hopped for Maria, and she carried us all out of the cave quickly. Once out of the cave Maria took all of us into the forest where we wouldn't be spotted by Ares. Safely away from the cave, I wondered how we were going to get in touch with Arthur. We looked up at the sky to try, but we didn't see anyone fighting up there. Where could they have gone?

**Maria: "** Okay everyone, stay here, I'll go and find them.**"** Maria said, putting down Courtney and Max.

**Matt: "** Are you sure you don't need us?**"**

**Maria: "** I'm going to tell them that the cave is ready for them to use, I'll be back as soon as I can.**"** Maria said, as she spread her wings and quickly took flight.

**Inside New Mouse City**

**Arthur P.O.V**

Ares had gained the upper paw in the fight, he was able to launch us directly into the city, and Terry and I got separated. While in the city I was swarmed by the citizens who had all been corrupted. I flew away from their grasp and went on to search for Terry, who I saw land in a section of the city farther away from me. Heading there, an explosion appeared in a section entirely different from where either of us landed. Terry and Ares must have encountered each other, I quickly flew over there and I worried if any citizens got hurt in the explosion. Speaking of its citizens, the ones that swarmed me were still giving chase. I didn't want to hurt any of them so I flew higher and teleported from one rooftop to the other to quickly lose them.

I quickly reached the location of the explosion, which was the location of some factories. When I landed on the ground I noticed cheese scattered around. I couldn't see any corrupted mice around but I had to be ready for whatever was going to happen. Another explosion happened close by, and Terry was launched from the blast and crashed into a nearby building. Heading over there I was attacked by Ares who stabbed with his sword. Now in front of Ares, we both stared at each other.

**Ares: "** You're losing.**" **Ares said, with a smile on his face.

" Don't count us out yet.**"**

**Ares: "** The explosion will have most likely drawn hundreds of mice to our location, let's see if you can fight me and the citizens at the same time.**"**

He was right, we heard the footsteps of mice who were running right for us. The mice began to swarm us, Ares launched me right at them, but Terry caught me.

**Terry: "** I'm not sure how much longer I can do this?**"** Terry said worriedly.

" We have to get him out of the city.**"**

**Terry: "** Then let's get him out!**"** Terry shouted.

We both flew towards Ares and tried to take him out of the city but he kept either pushing us away or smashing us against the floor, or launched us onto nearby buildings. The corrupted mice reached us and Ares threw slashes of negative energy at them, we both quickly went to redirect the attacks, but we were almost grabbed the swarming mice. We both pushed the oncoming mice away with our air abilities. But Ares made sure to launch attacks in each of our directions, so we had to redirect the oncoming attacks and push back the oncoming swarm at the same time.

The attacks were getting stronger, and the swarm more relentless in their attempt to overwhelm us. We started to hear a screeching noise that was getting louder and louder, Ares was distracted by the noise.

**Ares: "** What is that, another one of your tricks!**" **he shouted in confusion.

The noise quickly went silent, and Ares was struck by a fireball from behind, and while he was distracted we used that as our opportunity to rush him and punched him straight into the air as hard we could. We flew straight after him, as we were doing so, Maria appeared.

**Terry: "** Maria, what are you doing here?!**" **Terry shouted.

**Maria: "** I came to tell you that the others have been evacuated from the cave and so Arthur could go forward with his plan.**"**

" Alright, thanks Maria, let's hope this plan works.**"**

**Maria: "** I'll try and help you guys out.**"**

With the three of us working together we were able to push Ares to where we wanted him to go. He became more reckless with his attacks, which were a little harder to dodge but regardless of how difficult it was, we were able to get him near enough to the location of the cave. Terry flew higher in the air, while I attacked from a distance, and while Maria got up close to him and shot fireballs at him.

Terry then zoomed right at him and rammed him into the mountain. I quickly gave chase while Maria flew back to protect the others. In the cave, Terry had managed to push Ares in the chasm, and the positive energy began to affect the sword. The negative energy of the sword and the positive energy from the cave, resulting in a wave of energy blowing all of us away, and the sword falling and sticking to the floor. Ares had been separated from the sword and the positive energy from the cave was affecting him as well. But the symbol on the wall began to glow brighter and brighter. A beam of light shot out from the symbol and into the air, and then created a wave of light that dispelled the darkness.

" I wasn't expecting that. The positive energy of the cave must have converted the sword's negative energy into positive energy, which undid the sword's corruption.**"**

**Terry: "** We can't let him get his paws on the sword again.**" **Terry said quickly running forward.

Terry moved forward and jumped, and smashed the ground with his paw, which caused the whole chasm to violently shake, and the diamond branches that held the giant rocks crumbled away, causing a cave-in.

**Ares: "** NOOOOOO!**"**

Terry and I rushed Ares as he tried to take hold of his sword, all the while the cave collapsed all around us.

**Ares: "** Even without my sword, I'm still more powerful than you both, I will make you both suffer for this!**"**

**Outside of the hidden cave  
**

**Thea P.O.V**

I have no idea what happened but Arthur's plan worked, although I'm not sure he saw that coming. Regardless of if he did though, at least we don't have to worry about the corruption spreading anymore. The ground then started to shake violently, and the cave entrance suddenly was engulfed in smoke. The smoke covered a distance, it almost reached us but we moved away from the oncoming smoke. When the smoke faded away, we went back to the cave entrance to find it caved in. We all worried about Arthur and Terry, who were now trapped in there. We waited for something to happen, and then both Terry and Arthur shot out from the debris and both looked like they had been blown away, Ares then emerged from the debris and quickly flew after the two, launching a barrage of attacks at them which carried them further away from us.

" Therein trouble, we have to help!**"** I shouted.

**Geronimo: "** Thea no, it's too dangerous!**"** Geronimo shouted back.

" I don't care, we have to do something. If you don't want to help fine, but I'm going, I don't care if I can't do much, I'm still going to try.**"**

**Maria: "** Then we must move right away.**"**

**Arthur P.O.V**

With his plans foiled, Ares now resorted to savagely beating us. We tried holding to gain some distance so we could attack, but Ares had no intention of letting us fight back. He was using his strongest attacks against us and he showed no sign of tiring out. He grabbed both of us and slammed us into the ground creating a large crater. Terry and I lay on the ground, we tried to get up but Ares kept slamming us back into it.

**Ares: "** I do not know why my sword was hidden here, but it has something to do with the mysterious powers that exist in this world, powers that Eric and his servants tried to learn about. Perhaps I could see what secrets this world has and try to use them for my benefit.**"**

**Terry: "** I won't let you do that.**"** Terry said, getting up.

**Ares: "** You are probably the most intriguing thing this world has to offer and given your fragile mental state, it's not hard to corrupt you. Once I deal with Arthur, I shall make you my slave. And in time I shall turn you into the perfect warrior.**"**

Ares prepared another attack, but then we heard the screeching noise, Maria mack when she prepares an attack, the sound was coming from everywhere, and since we were surrounded by trees, we didn't know where she would strike from. Suddenly Ares was struck by a fireball, and out emerged Maria, with Thea, Matt, and Alden riding on her back. Matt and Alden followed with some attacks of their own.

**Thea: "** Arthur!**" **Thea shouted as she and the others flew by on Maria.

" Thea!**"**

**Matt: "** Haha, Arthur, You're lover is quite the maiden. I can see what attracts you to her a lot better now.**"**

**Alden: "** I hope you're not saying that because the robe she's wearing is almost flying off her, showing her almost naked body.**"**

**Maria: "** Now is not the time!**" **Maria shouted at them.

Ares enraged started giving chase. Terry and I used the time they gave us to think of a way to finally finish this fight.

" Terry, we need to end this fight right now.**"**

**Terry: "** We would if we could, even without the sword he's still too strong.**"**

" But we may have a way to gain the advantage.**"**

**Terry: "** How?**"**

" We'll use the power of the marks.**"**

**Terry: "** The marks?**"**

" Yes, with the power from the marks, we should be able to defeat Ares.**" **

**Terry: "** You might be able to use it, but I don't. And I certainly wouldn't be able to in the short time we have there's something else I could try.**"**

" What is it?**"**

**Terry: "** There are forms that I can assume that would allow me to use multiple powers at once. But these forms make me go insane, and they also drain my energy quickly. I don't have much energy so it's going to be a struggle to maintain the form I'll assume, but I believe that in my short frenzy our chances of defeating Ares are higher, though it is still a gamble.**"**

" If it will help then do it.**"**

**Terry: "** Alright.**"**

We looked back up at the sky to see Thea and the others distracting Ares. They were able to dodge his attack and were able to get a few more direct hit's on Ares. But Ares, who was fed up, threw a large beam of energy, which directly struck Maria. The beam of energy exploded, knocking everyone out of the sky. Terry and I watched in shock as they fell to the ground. We both rushed to save them from hitting the ground.

I held Thea in my arms and checked for a pulse. She was alive but hurt. She slowly opened her eyes and placed a paw on my cheek.

**Thea: "** Sorry...we tried.**"** She said barely able to keep herself awake.

She fell into unconsciousness, and rage quickly built inside of me. At that moment that power from my mark activated and the energy from it quickly healed her. I looked over to Terry who also was in a rage, he had saved Maria, and the others from hitting the ground, but they were hurt. Conscious, but hurt. In his rage, he assumed the form he was talking about, his body changed and in a moment his body looked like a mix of his strongest abilities. His eyes were dead set on Ares, and he wasted no time unleashing hell on Ares. Charging right at him and holding nothing back. Terry had sent him flying in the air while he continued to beat Ares like a ragdoll.

I had healed Maria, and the clothes, while I did Thea had woken up.

**Thea: "** Arthur, what happened.**" **She said slowly waking up.

" You fought Ares, and I thank you for the help, but now let me and Terry end this.**" **

**Matt: "** Give 'em hell.**" **Matt said as I gave Thea to him.

**Thea: "** Wait Arthur that form, isn't that-**"**

" The form I assumed back in the airport. Yes, stay here with the others.**"**

**Thea: "** Not like I could follow.**"** She said giggling.

I looked up and saw Terry who was still wailing on Ares. It looked like he was trying his own and while he did gain some distance from him, it meant nothing against the state Terry was currently in. I flew up towards them and decided to use my strongest attack in this form but I needed a little time to do it, hopefully, it would be ready by the time Terry stop's attacking.

Terry was able to hold on to his form for longer then I thought he would, but his energy was completely drained, as his body began to look like its normal self again. Ares, seeing his opportunity sent Terry smashing to the ground. But all that did was leave himself open to my attack. He, unfortunately, realized too late, and I unleashed my strongest attack against him. The blast of energy split and became two, and both beams assumed forms that looked like dragons. One of the dragons quickly engulfed him; they went higher into the air before both exploding.

Ares fell from the sky unconscious, I grabbed him before he hit the ground, and flew us both safely back down. When we landed I laid Ares down on the floor and stopped using my other form. The fight was over, we had won. Thea and others were running towards me, I could see Geronimo, Trap, Benjamin, and Pandora with them. I even saw Max and Courtney, but Alden and Matt had their weapons drawn in case they tried to escape. Thea was the first to get to me though, she was running her fastest and when she was in front of me, she jumped to give me a big hug.

**Thea: "** Arthur you did it.**"** She said full of joy. She and I shared a loving kiss while we waited for the others to get to us.

**Matt: "** Victory is ours, today is a good day.**"**

**Benjamin: "** Is it over?**"**

**Maria: "** Yes, it's finally over.**"**

**Geronimo: "**That makes me happy to hear, now things can finally go back to normal.**"**

**Max: "** Things will never be normal again, not after today.**" **

Thea broke the kiss to say something.

**Thea: "** And whose fault do you think is that?**"** She said upset with them. We all knew they were right, this is very well going to leave an impact on the people of the island, and we don't know how far the corruption spread. Even if the corruption didn't reach the other islands, the citizens here will be in a state of panic, demanding answers.**"**

**Pandora: " **When I was corrupted, I was able to remember everything I did, so the same thing can be said about everyone else who was corrupted.**"**

**Alden: "** But the citizens don't know why it happened and how they suddenly went back to normal. We should just use the fact that nobody will know what happened to our advantage, it will help us keep Terry safe.**" **

**Matt: "** Not entirely, we still have to deal with Eric trying to get Terry.**"**

**Max: "** You don't have to worry about that.**"**

**Maria: "** What did you say?**"**

**Max: "** I said you don't have to worry yourselves about that.**"**

**Terry: "** What do you mean?**"**

**Max: "** Eric, is dead.**"**

We all listened as Max explained how he witnessed Eric's death and paws of Ares, as soon as Ares was given his sword. Terry didn't want to believe it, but I didn't pick up any deception. Was he dead? Max explained that for as clever and adaptable as Eric was too new situations, there were moments where he became sloppy, which can lead him to make mistakes, and everything that happened after both Ares and I fell from the sky did make him kinda sloppy.

**Courtney: "** Master maybe a genius, but he's still a mouse. I wonder if he knew that himself?**"**

**Maria: "** Since both of you are left and right paws, without you the rest of your group should fall apart.**"**

**Thea: "** We may not be able to put you both away for what you guys have done over the years, but we can put you away for the crimes you committed against the citizens of New Mouse City. Since they would be crimes mice will actually believe.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Mousenapping,**"**

**Thea: "** Murder.**"**

**Geronimo: "** Those are only some of the crimes we can charge you with.**"**

**Max: "** True, but all I can be charged with is simply aiding the culprit behind the crimes.**"**

**Thea: "** Doesn't matter, you won't be hurting anyone else.**"**

Keeping Terry safe was a matter I believed could be handled, as well as the matter of what to do with Max and all that was left was Ares, and I already knew how to deal with that.

" Well, it seems you guys have this handled. How to keep Terry safe, and what two with those two, guess that just leaves me with Ares.**"**

**Trap: "** That's right, we still have to deal with him.**"**

" I already know how to deal with him, but I already told you how I'm going to do that.**"**

**Maria: "** You're going back to your universe aren't you?**"**

" Afraid so.**"**

**Thea: "** Wait, can't you stay for a little longer?**" **Thea said grabbing me tightly, not wanting me to leave her.

" I don't know how long Ares will remain unconscious, so I have to go home before he wakes up.**"**

**Terry: "** Is this goodbye forever?**"**

" No, I could always come back and visit, I just need a wander's feather so I won't waste my energy running from universe to universe until I get I miss my home, I've been away for a while so I am going to spend some time over there before I come back, plus Ares and I did make a little mess during our fight back in my home city, so everyone will be wondering what happened, and where I was.**"**

**Thea: "** How long will it be before I see you again?**"** Thea said, looking at me, almost on the verge of tears. She understood my desire to go home, but she didn't know how long until I came back.

" I don't know, but I promise I will come to see you, until then can I count on you to help Terry.**"**

**Thea: "** I promise.**"**

**Geronimo: "** We'll help Maria, and the other's take care of Terry, don't worry.**"**

" And Terry, until I come back, I want you to start training to control your abilities more, with what I taught you back in the cave, I believe you do it on your own until I get back.**"**

**Terry: "** I'll do that, we'll see you soon.**"**

" Thea, until then I want you to have this.**"**

I held my paws together and made Thea two necklaces, One which had sun and the other a moon.

" Both pieces can go together, I'll give you the sun half, and I'll keep the moon half**," **I said, giving her the sun half.

**Thea: "** I'll be waiting for you, I love you, so much.**"**

" I love you too.**"**

Thea and I shared one more passionate kiss before I walked to pick up Ares. Placing Ares over my shoulder, I positioned myself to run in the direction of the beach. I gave Thea and the others just one more look before I quickly zoomed away with Ares. zooming into the sea I used the power of the mark to give the extra power I needed to dash the universal barrier. Before breaking through the buried I said one more thing.

" Thank you for everything Thea, I'll be back.**"**

**Six Months Later**

**Thea P.O.V**

**Evening**

It was a romantic September night, Arthur and I had just gone on another date. Arthur accompanied me to the Rodent's Gazette, where I turned in my last article, and investigation into a case of smuggled cheese. I had been planning to turn the article in sooner but Arthur showed up and since we always go out every time he shows up, I figured the article could wait. We had decided to walk home since it was a nice night and I wanted to enjoy every minute I had with Arthur before he went home.

We made home safe and sound, and at the door Arthur kissed me, and wished me a good night before as he pulled out the Wanderers feather and prepared himself to travel home. I didn't want him to leave yet so I grabbed his arm and insisted that he stay the night. He agreed and we both walked into the house. My house had gotten a complete makeover the past few months, Arthur had been bringing me furniture and other things from the other universes, which I used to decorate my house. Arthur even gave some souvenirs he got from his adventures, which served as amazing decorations. There has also been more activity going on in my house since Terry and Maria moved in. Maria had decided that she and the others would go and live out on their own, but Geronimo and I convinced them that they could live with us in our houses. I'm still not sure if we would have been able to convince them if Terry had not said anything. He decided that it was time to stop hiding from mice and that if he was going to trust mice again, then he would have to live amongst them. Maria had one condition though, which was that Terry would not use his powers in front of other mice, and Terry has been doing a great job keeping his promise. He's also been doing a good job keeping up with his training. And since Arthur kept coming back, Terry's training was able to go a lot better, especially Arthur brought over some friends from other universes. Arthur told me that these were the other mice who had the marks like him and Terry, and each one of them taught Terry something different, which has helped him. Of course, all their training is done in a hidden location.

It was decided Maria, and Terry would move in with me, and Matt and Alden would move in with Geronimo. After the fight between Ares, Arthur, and Terry, citizens all over the island had mixed reactions. Pandora, and I, when we were corrupted, we remembered what we did, but at the same time we felt like we were spectators to our actions, we felt like our bodies were moving without our brains telling them what to do. Maybe that was why the reactions to what happened were so mixed. Some mice convinced themselves it was some kind of hallucination, others thought it was a dream, and some refused to believe it outright. Although there were mice who believed it was real, and they tried explaining to others what happened but they also got mixed reactions. This meant that other mice didn't get corrupted, they were able to resist the negative energy long enough for the negative energy to be destroyed.

As for the mice outside of the island, I found that the clouds were able to get pretty far, they covered more than half the world. Some mice said they saw bright lights shoot out from the ground and exploded in the sky which got rid of the dark clouds. It brought me a massive sigh of relief to know that the reactions to this whole thing were just as mixed as the reactions here on mouse island. As far as I could tell, Terry and Arthur are safe. I was satisfied with that. A good piece of news was that all the female mice who were in the New Mouse City hospital were cured. They began acting like their normal selves again, doctors were surprised, and after several tests confirmed that the girls were healthy enough to leave. I was so happy because my friends who were in the hospital would get to go home again. Geronimo and I were there to greet them and take them all home. A few days later we held a celebration, where we talked about the whole thing. It was also here where we introduced Terry and Maria to them,

Though Maria only agreed to introduce Terry, if the whole powers thing was kept secret. Another piece of good news was Courtney and Max are in prison. They both turned themselves in and confessed that they were the ones responsible for all the abductions, and Courtney confessed to being the one behind the murders. During the court session, I and several others who were victims of their abductions, and Me testifying as a witness to the murders, both Courtney and Max received lengthy prison sentences, so everybody could rest easy knowing that they would no longer be hurting anyone. Terry, however, remained unphased, I tried asking him what was wrong but he would always brush me off and say it was nothing. Rather than pressing him on the matter, I decided to leave it alone.

Two months after the fight, the citizens of the island were able to move past what happened and restored a sense of normal, and mice around the world weren't talking about the dark clouds or what it did to the mice underneath it. In the weeks that followed after the whole thing, it was mostly dismissed by scientists, who were able to give explanations as to how the clouds formed but didn't explain the increased levels of aggression, but their explanations seemed to satisfy most mice. As for Terry and the others, they were able to get used to the mice that lived on the islands, Matt had gotten Terry to play sports and Benjamin and Pandora got Terry to practice his interacting skills with others. As for me, Terry would often paint for me, and I enjoyed watching him paint. He made some of the most amazing paintings I've ever seen. Terry was also very intelligent, not surprising given who his father is, but Terry wasn't sure how to feel it, but Alden was able to help Terry embrace his amazing intelligence. Everyone else played a part in helping Terry get used to living in a city, and while he still feels like he has a long way to go, I believe he's done an amazing job getting so far. One thing that does concern me is that the Daily Rat has been awfully quiet, I don't know what's going on in there but I don't want to waste my time on it.

Throughout these past two months, I had been missing Arthur. While I was at work, home, shopping, or doing anything, Arthur was always on my mind. I still waited for the day he would return to me, and one night, before I went to sleep someone had knocked on my door. It was pretty late, so I was a little worried about who it might be, Maria, and Terry was also worried so they stuck close to me just in case. When I opened the door I saw Arthur, holding a bouquet. Without even thinking I leaped onto him and started kissing him, I was so happy to see him again. After that visit from him, we both have been seeing each other more and more for the next four months.

Anyway back to the present, Arthur and I had just gotten back from another date, and we were going to spend the night together. Terry Maria, Matt, and Alden were on a two week trip on an island that I knew very well, Whale island. Hearing that they were going there reminded me of the time I spent studying at Mouseford academy. I asked why they were going there, and Alden said that they had gotten the attention of a school football team that was here in the city not too long ago. They had seen Terry play, and were impressed with his skills. The football team had even challenged him and Terry was able to beat them with ease. The team's coach was very impressed and asked Terry if he was currently attending a school. He was glad to hear that Terry wasn't attending a school. Maria, who was still struggling somewhat to trust mice again, was hesitant to let anyone get close to Terry, but Matt and Alden saw this as a golden opportunity.

The coach offered Terry an opportunity to attend the school they played for if Terry would come to the island so they could work out the details there, and everyone agreed that this would be beneficial to Terry. So I had my house all to myself again.

Remembering the old school I attended, I told Arthur stories about my time as a student, and he told me stories about his time as a student, working to become a hero. It made for some pretty good laughs remembering our younger days. We were about to turn in for the night when I heard a knock on my door. Who was it? And why would they be knocking this late at night?

I opened the door and I was met with a mail mouse, what was a mail mouse doing at this time of night? I couldn't get to say anything because as soon as the mail mouse saw me he started talking.

**Mailmouse: "** Thea Stilton?**" **He squeaked.

" Yes**," **I answered.

**Mailmouse: "** Thea Stilton, the famous sister of the world-famous Geronimo Stilton?**" **He asked.

" Yes, I'm Thea**," **I responded impatiently. Was my brother more famous than me? I'd really never thought about it before. I could hear Arthur chuckling near the door.

" Shutty**,"** I said looking at him.

**Mailmouse: "** What was that?**"**

" Nothing.**"**

**Mailmouse: "** Okay, well Are you Thea Stilton, the famous sister of the really famous Geronimo Stilton, the publisher and editor and chief of the Rodent's Gazette, the most famous newspaper on Mouse Island?**" **He said.

" Yes, yes, and YEEEEEEES!**" **I shouted.

**Mailmouse: "** Geeze, lady mind your manners, I just wanted to be sure. I have a letter for you, and with the way this envelope looks, I must be real fancy stuff. I could have left it in your mailbox, but I didn't want anyone to steal it, so here you go.**" **

I was getting a little by him because he was taking his responsibilities too seriously, so I grabbed the letter and shut the door. But not before thanking him for bringing me the letter. Arthur and I sat back on the couch and looked at the envelope. There was a symbol on the envelope that I knew all too well.

" It's the Mouseford Academy seal**,"** I said excitedly.

**Arthur: "** The school you attended? What do they want?**"** Arthur said curiously.

I quickly opened the envelope and read the letter inside it. After reading the letter, I jumped for joy, I couldn't believe what I had just been invited to do.

**Arthur: "** Woah Thea, what's going on are you okay?**"**

I stopped jumping and quickly turned to Arthur, who was eagerly waiting to learn why I was so happy.

" We're going on a little road trip!**"** I said hugging him, still full of excitement, our next adventure was about to begin.

**Thank you to Everyone who has stuck around to the end. It was an experience for me writing fanfiction for the first time, so I hope you all enjoyed it. Now, where do we go from here, well I don't know, because classes are going to be starting soon, and I am going to dedicate more time to practice my drawing. Honestly, I felt like this should have been a comic, because I felt like I would have been able to bring out some scenes if they were drawn, but I can't say for sure. I'm also not sure if I will be able to continue writing stories like these, but maybe I could try but I don't know, but what I do know is I had a blast writing this story, so thank you all for reading it.  
**

**Writing this story has definitely given me much to think about when it comes to writing stories, I saw what worked and what didn't work, and I saw things that could have used improvement, some things I didn't notice until days after I finished editing each chapter. I do appreciate the feedback I got, so again thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.  
**

** Until next time, I'm TwelveUniverseArcs, have a pleasant day.**


End file.
